Save Tonight
by JillRJohnson
Summary: 10 years later history repeats itself. How can Silver cope? How will Kelly be able to help her heal? How do Annie, Navid and Jasper play into it all? Rated M for adult themes, violence, and occasionally language.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I've been a 90210 fan since it aired in 1989 (20 years??? Seriously?). I was always a big fan of Kelly and now I'm a fan of Silver. I've wanted to do this fic for a while and figured why not. It will mostly be a Silver and Kelly story. Other characters will definitely play into it. Kind of follows the current storylines with some definite deviations though. This story starts after "Women's Intuition" episode and involves a few spoilers from the episode after that, but I change things from there. A past storyline from the original show involving Kelly will also have some relevance to this story.

Save Tonight

1

"Silver," Annie Wilson caught up with Erin Silver. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

Silver stopped and looked cautiously at the shorter girl waiting to be chastised for her lack of friendliness with the girl, "Look Annie, whatever you have to say make it quick. I don't have time to listen to you spew about what a bad friend I am."

Annie looked down at the ground making Silver feel truly sorry for the girl. Annie simply looked up and frowned as she took in the tired look in her friend's face. She shrugged, "I deserve that, but I just wanted to tell you that I'm…well I'm here if you need me. I heard about your mom and I just…well…I'm here."

Before Silver could respond, the smaller girl was lost in a sea of students changing classes. Silver wanted to thank Annie but she simply saw Annie's back disappearing amongst the noisy crowd. She pondered the changes she had seen in Annie since the beginning of summer and it scared her. She knew Annie had become more emotional than usual, she was withdrawn and at times she was almost on the verge of crazy.

Silver laughed at the irony. As a girl diagnosed as bipolar she had her fair share of crazy moments. She continued walking as she thought about how she had been spending so much time taking care of her cancer-stricken mother that she had little time left in her schedule for friends.

She turned the corner and spotted her sister, Kelly coming toward her. Before Kelly could see her, Silver ducked into the chemistry lab and shut the door. She had spent a lot of time avoiding her older sister due to their differing opinions about the care of their mother.

Silver exhaled as Kelly passed the door of the lab and kept walking. She was startled by a voice behind her.

"Hiding out?"

Silver turned to find Jasper Herman pouring different liquids into test tubes. Silver smiled a crooked smile and realized how nervous Jasper made her, "Yeah, my sister."

"Kelly, right? She's the school counselor."

Silver nodded, "Yup. Well…I'll let you get back to work."

She reached for the door knob. Jasper spoke again, "You don't have to go. I was just doing some make up work. You know some stuff I missed when I was out for my uncle's funeral."

Silver thought about the school benefactor and frowned as she thought about the mortality of her own mother. She let her hand slide off the knob and turned to Jasper. "So how are you doing with all that?"

"Some days are better than others."

Silver hated how piercing his eyes were. She pondered momentarily how Annie could spend so much time with a boy like Jasper. He was quiet, disturbingly so, and his anti-sociability was fear-inducing and reminiscent of teenagers in black trench coats. Silver reached for the door again and this time she felt a hand on her shoulder. His skin was cold, like ice as he touched the bareness surrounding the strap of her tank top.

As she turned to face Jasper she felt more vulnerable than she ever had. She felt scared. "I really should be going Jasper. I've got class."

"Yeah, no problem," he said coolly as he dropped his hand to his side an icy glare searching her face.

Silver quickly made her way out of the lab and into the hallway. The crowd had thinned to a group and as the late bell rang, it quickly dissipated into one lonely girl suddenly and inexplicably afraid. Suddenly the only person Silver wanted to see was the one person she had spent so much time avoiding.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kelly sat at her desk and stared at the calendar. She realized that 2009 marked an anniversary, one she didn't want to remember, but could never forget, despite moving forward. Constant reminders of an event she didn't want to remember invaded her every thought. She suddenly wished she was on vacation with Sammy. She wished he wasn't away visiting his father.

She thought about Dylan and again was reminded of the one thing she was trying to forget. He had been the one that had asked her to meet him. He was the reason she had parked on that street and walked down that block and had passed that alley. He had given her the gun.

She took a deep breath and shook off the thoughts as her door opened. She was surprised to see Silver standing at the threshold. Kelly frowned as she looked up at her sister. Her sister was seventeen years younger than she was. Her sister was like her daughter. And with that, she thought about their mother and how hard Erin had been working to take care of her.

She looked up at her sister's beautiful blue eyes, they matched her own. Both held insurmountable amounts of exhaustion in them. But Silver's also shimmered with fresh tears.

Kelly stood up and reached her arms out to Erin, "Are you okay?"

Silver just shook her head and allowed herself to be enveloped by Kelly's maternal embrace. Kelly hugged her for several minutes before guiding her to the chair closest to them.

"Sit down," Kelly spoke gently, "What's wrong? Is it mom?"

Silver shrugged, "No. I mean, yes, but she's not…you know. I'm just…I was just…I felt like I was going to cry and I didn't want the whole school seeing me fall apart so I had to come here…because…"

Kelly nodded, "Because I won't mind."

Silver smiled through her tears, "And because you're safe."

The thought of safety was almost a foreign concept to Kelly. But if she could be someone's safe place she was glad, especially if it was her little sister.

"Come home, Silver. Please. We can take turns taking care of mom. I'll put my differences with her aside for your sake. Please just come home for tonight and let the nurse handle it. Take a break. We'll watch old movies. We'll…we'll look at old pictures. We'll…we'll laugh. We'll rest. Please. Think about it."

Silver pulled her knees up to her chest, and nodded, "Sounds nice. Rest."

Kelly nodded and after wondering when Silver had last eaten, she glanced at her watch, "Crap. I've got a staff meeting. Will you be okay?"

"Yeah, I thought maybe I'd go see mom, let her know where I'll be tonight."

"Okay. Just be careful and call me if you want a ride from mom's."

Kelly kissed Silver on the head and left her safe in her office. Silver looked around the room and moved to Kelly's chair. She scribbled a note to her sister, something sweet that was out of character for her to say, much less write. She slid it under the calendar for Kelly to find the next day. She looked at the calendar and noticed that the year was X'ed off and marked through as though Kelly had been absentmindedly trying to kill it.

She shrugged off the thought and left the office.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hey Ms. Taylor, have you seen Silver?" Kelly turned to see Teddy Montgomery's soulful eyes staring back at her.

She had seen him staring at her sister and was very aware of the crush he had on Erin, "She was going to our mother's house and then coming home for the night."

"Okay. Good." Teddy smiled half-heartedly. Kelly cocked her head at him curiously. He simply smiled wider, "It's just that she seemed really tired earlier today when I ran into her and I was hoping maybe she would take a break soon."

"Thanks for looking out for her Teddy. That's really nice of you," Kelly said appreciatively.

Teddy shrugged, "I really like Silver. She's…she's really special."

Kelly smiled sincerely and nodded, "I agree."

Kelly returned to her office to get her purse, any more time staring at her desk calendar and she knew she would lose her mind. As she grabbed her keys from her desk she saw the note sticking out from under the calendar. She picked it up and opened it curious as to why Erin would leave her a note.

As she read it she smiled.

_**Dear Kelly,**_

_** No matter what kind of brat I'm being you love me. No matter how many horrible things I've said, you love me. No matter how hard I close myself off from you, you love me. I hope you know that when I don't tell you, when I don't show you, when I'm too stupid to get over myself, I love you too. I could never have dreamed of a better big sister. **_

_** Thank you,**_

_** I love you.**_

_** Erin**_

Kelly swiped at a few tears that fell from her eyes. Silver rarely called herself Erin, and she never said, "I love you." Kelly couldn't wait to get home and talk to Erin. She couldn't wait to figure out how to take on the world together.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Annie looked sideways at Jasper in the car, "So you're telling me that you don't believe me."

Jasper slammed his fist against the dashboard, "That's right! I don't believe you, Annie. You're telling me that you are on my side and not Navid's? You're saying you believe me and not your friends? But I can see it in your eyes that you doubt me…again. So I see the truth and still you're telling me you are on my side."

Annie nodded her head, fear coursing through her veins, "That's what I'm saying Jasper. Why are you so mad at me?"

"How do I know you're not wearing a wire or something?"

Annie's heart quickened, "What in the hell are you talking about? Who would I wear a wire for? Why would I wear one when I think…no…I know you do not deal drugs. You told me you didn't and I doubted you once, but never again. You have to believe me."

"Get out of my car," Jasper stared angrily at Annie. Annie laid a shaking hand on the door handle.

"Please, Jasper…" Annie's voice was soft. She hated to beg, but she knew she had no choice.

"GET OUT!!!!" Jasper spit as he yelled.

He opened the door on Annie's side and pushed her onto the pavement. She looked around to see who had caught her embarrassing moment. Jasper sped off without closing the door and without bothering to see if he was clear of Annie. Fortunately she rolled out of the way.

As she tried to stand up a hand reached out to her. Navid helped her up and she nodded in relief. Navid's look of worry let Annie know that Jasper was as scary as he sounded to her.

"Can you use any of that?" Annie asked as she pulled the wire out of her shirt.

Navid shook his head, "No. He didn't admit to anything. All we have is proof that he's a total jerk."

"An abusive jerk," Annie added as she rubbed her shoulder where Jasper had pushed her. "What next?"

Navid shook his head, "I don't know, but I feel sorry for whoever gets in his path today."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kelly looked out the window. Silver had called her two hours ago to say she was on her way home and that she would just drive her scooter. Kelly paced back to the cell phone on the coffee table. She thought about calling Erin, but she wanted to show her sister trust.

She looked at the clock again. It was a few minutes past 8pm. Kelly knew that despite Silver's immaturity she was rarely late to anything. She grabbed the cell phone off the table and dialed Silver's number. It rang several times before she got voicemail. Kelly hung up and grabbed her keys. She would find her sister.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Erin Silver could hear the ringtone assigned to her sister; Eagle Eye Cherry's "Save Tonight." The song had always reminded Silver of her sister. The sound was coming from nearby, somewhere.

Silver's face ached. Her stomach flipped. Her back burned. There was nothing in her being that didn't cry out in pain. She pulled herself up slowly using the brick wall beside her as support. Her feet swished against the garbage sacks around her. Her blurred vision focused on the world around her. She was alone. It was dark. But there was the sound of her phone.

She dared to let go of the wall long enough to turn toward the sound. She lost her balance and fell on her knees. The asphalt cut into the bare skin. Her skirt had not been enough protection. The cell phone was quiet again. She wanted to scream. She wanted help, but her voice was lost amongst the gasps for air she was trying to gulp down.

She tried not to cry any more, for the salt water from her eyes burned the cuts on her lip and cheek. Her confusion and dazed wellbeing were interrupted by the ringtone again. This time, her eyes were focused enough for her to see the faint light of the screen beneath, and slightly hidden by, a black trash bag.

She crawled to the phone and fumbled with it before finally getting it open.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kelly was almost surprised when the phone stopped ringing as someone answered it. After a second of silence, Kelly spoke, "Silver? Are you okay? Is that you?"

A sound, like a sob caught in a throat, preceded the tiniest, most hurt voice Kelly had ever heard, "Kelly?"

"Yes," Kelly's heart raced as she thought about the day of hell she had seen in her life and she prayed, and prayed hard in that brief second that Erin would be spared any of the things she had been through. "Erin, it's me. Where are you?"

Silence again followed by deep breaths. Kelly could tell Silver was trying her best not to hyperventilate, "Erin, baby, please answer me. Where are you?"

"I don't know," Silver finally answered. "I don't know."

The words were immediately followed by sobbing. Kelly's heart broke again and again. Before she could ask Silver for details of her surroundings, she turned onto a familiar street and saw Erin's scooter pulled to the side of the road. It was chained to a stop sign.

"Okay, Silver, I see your scooter," Kelly spoke into the phone. She stopped her car and got out, still holding the phone tightly to her ear. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she realized she was on the same street she had stood on ten years earlier. The one she had walked down. The street that led to the alley that changed her whole life.

Before Kelly could get a response from Erin, she could hear her whimpering. She shut the phone and called out to her sister. She knew where she would find her. She just wasn't sure what sick twist of fate would destroy her sister in the same spot that Kelly's world had come crashing down.

She shook all over as she came to the alley. She could barely make her legs move as she took in the site of her sister, in shock, bleeding, and lost on her knees in the middle of the alley.

She managed to gather the strength to speak to the girl who now looked more innocent, more vulnerable than she ever had. "Erin, I'm here. It's Kelly, I'm here."

As she approached Erin, Kelly could see the uncertainty in the girl's eyes. Kelly held out her hands. Erin reached up for them, and despite being barely able to stand, she rose from the ground and sank into Kelly's arms.

Kelly voice was barely a whisper in the thin girl's ear, "You're safe now. I've got you. You're safe."

They stood that way for mere minutes. Kelly could feel Silver shaking in her arms. She could hear the raspy breathing, the whimpering. And she could feel Silver's heartbeat, and for that few god-awful minutes, Kelly held on to that one positive thing, her sister had a strong heartbeat.

"Let's get you to the hospital," Kelly whispered as she guided the nearly catatonic girl from the alley.


	2. Cry Little Sister

2

**Cry Little Sister**

Silver could feel her sister practically lifting her off the ground as she guided her in to the emergency room. She had vaguely recalled the car ride to the hospital. She had only remembered her sister's hand never letting go of her own. Pain coursed through her body and her eyes flinched with the bright lights of the hospital emergency room.

"Someone! Help us!" Kelly called out to anyone who would listen. She had heard Silver's breathing becoming more and more shallow as they had gotten closer to the hospital. Finally a nurse came to them. Her face was kind and filled with patience.

"What happened?" The nurse asked as she guided them to an exam room.

Silver felt Kelly looking at her as she fought away the blackness that threatened to seep in. She heard Kelly's voice, shaking and full of fear, "She was attacked."

As she heard the words, Silver looked at Kelly. Her sister's face was filled with tears, and Silver sank back into despair, burying her face in Kelly's neck, as she heard Kelly's next words.

"I think she was…I think she was raped."

The nurse nodded and quickly left the room to get a doctor. While they waited, Silver let Kelly guide her to the bed. She refused to lay down, both because of the fear of being in a vulnerable position as well as the pain emanating from every joint of her body.

"Silver," Kelly looked into Erin's face trying to get her to focus on her, "Can you hear me? Please talk to me."

Silver didn't want to leave the safe place within, but she knew, for Kelly's sake, she had to say something. The look in Kelly's eyes screamed so many things, and mostly it spoke of familiarity.

"Kelly?" Silver began to cry again. "Kelly?"

"What happened, Silver? Who did this to you?" Kelly knew that pushing Silver was neither the best nor worst thing to do and knew that getting Silver to talk was more important than anything. It could save her from shock.

Silver tried to speak through sobs, but could barely breathe. Before she could get the words out the nurse returned with a doctor and a police detective. Kelly turned to see who would be handling Erin's case. She was shocked, almost disbelieving that the same detective that had handled her case ten years earlier would be handling Silver's now.

"Ms. Taylor?" The detective was almost as shocked as Kelly. Kelly shook her head and looked poignantly at Erin. The detective nodded and took a deep breath. The exchange did not go unnoticed by Silver. She was beginning to calm down, beginning to see the safe people around her. All of them were women. She looked at Kelly. Her sister was her safest place.

The doctor asked Silver if she could examine her. Silver looked to Kelly and Kelly nodded. Silver looked at the doctor and nodded. The nurse, doctor, and detective left Kelly and Silver alone in the room with a flimsy paper gown and thin sheet. The nurse explained before leaving that they were to put all of Silver's clothing in the white box they had brought in.

Silver looked down at her bare feet and realized that she had lost her flip-flops in the alleyway. A flash of her attacker inundated her world. Her knees grew weak but she gathered strength from her sister. She looked down at her hands and took note of the scratches on her palms.

_**Silver rolled her eyes as she looked again at her cell phone. No bars. No service. She sighed as she continued walking. Suddenly a strong hand was against the back of her neck, pushing her roughly into an alley and against a brick wall.**_

_** He turned her to face him. She was met with the nightmarish image of a black ski mask. **_

Silver shook and cried as she slowly peeled off her torn white button-up shirt and her bra. Kelly tried not to gasp as she saw the abrasions on Silver's back, but then she remembered how badly asphalt hurt when your bare back was against it. Kelly forced herself out of the past knowing that Silver needed her more now than she ever had. She took in the angry redness that covered Silver's shoulders, arms, back and chest. She knew they would be bruises before long.

Kelly could see Silver's thin body shaking forcibly as she slid out of her short black skirt. She wasn't wearing any underwear and Kelly could see her sister's bare legs but before Kelly could ascertain the amount of bruising and blood and wonder where Silver's underpants were, Silver pulled the paper gown on, clutched the sheet against her and turned to face Kelly. She looked shamefully at the skirt now lying in the box, which had become the focal point for Kelly.

Her voice was frighteningly quiet but she was urgent to explain, "He took them."

Kelly frowned as she tore her eyes away from the black skirt, another similarity she was choking on, "Took what?"

Silver cried harder, "My underwear. He took them."

Kelly wrapped her arms around her shaking sister and held her until the doctor, nurse and detective returned.

The exam physically hurt Silver as well as humiliated her. She had damage to places she had never heard of. She had a two cracked ribs. She had so much bruising that her bruises had bruises. Kelly held down the nausea that came with seeing the person she loved the most, other than her son, damaged so deeply.

By the time the evidence had been gathered and Silver had changed into the hospital issue sweats. Silver knew she had been through enough hell to last a decade. She was too exhausted to answer the detective's questions. The detective tried to ask Silver the questions she needed to ask, but Silver would only look pleadingly at Kelly.

Kelly looked at the clock and back to Silver. It was a quarter to midnight. She had a random thought about the time before speaking to her sister.

"Silver, you have to answer these questions. If you don't they can't find him. Okay? The longer it takes to get all the information out there, the longer it takes to get him."

Silver shook her head. Kelly looked thoughtfully from Silver to the detective and back at Silver again. The detective waited patiently. She had seen many cases in her twenty years, but never such an unfortunate coincidence as a younger sister being assaulted in the same alley that the older sister had been ten years earlier.

Kelly exhaled and kept her eyes on Silver's, "What if I ask you the questions, Silver? What if I ask the questions, and you just pretend they're not here. Can you do that?"

As Silver held on to Kelly's gaze she took her time thinking about whether or not she had the strength. She finally nodded, "I think so."

The detective scribbled on a notepad for a few minutes while Kelly smoothed out Silver's hair. Silver was still shaking but nowhere near the state she had been in when they had first arrived. Kelly was able to speak to her and get coherent answers.

"What happened?" Kelly asked Silver as she reached for the detective's notepad she was handing to her.

Erin took a deep breath and felt the pain against her bandaged ribs. It was hard for her not to cry, but she tried to hold it in, "I was driving home from Mom's house. My scooter ran out of gas."

_**She could feel the wind in her hair as she guided the blue Vespa down the empty street. She knew she should be wearing her helmet but the crisp cool air was too perfect not to enjoy fully. Besides, she had reasoned, she was driving slowly and sticking to side streets. **_

_** She smiled for the first time in days as she thought about curling up on the couch and watching movies with Kelly, the one person in her life that had ever truly loved her and taken care of her. The warming thought quickly flew away as the scooter lurched and then slowed to a stop.**_

_** Silver simply sat on the vehicle and sighed. She shook her head and smiled up at the sky, "Seriously, God? Just when I get a second wind and start feeling a little better about things? Seriously?"**_

Silver's attempt to hold back tears failed as she realized the complexity of life, "If I had filled it up at the gas station down the street from Mom's neighborhood…"

Kelly shook her head, "You can't think like that, Silver. This is not your fault."

Silver exhaled slowly and nodded, "I pushed it onto the curb and chained it to a stop sign. I was walking around because I couldn't get reception where my scooter was. I walked down that street, where the alley is."

Kelly could feel the questioning gaze on her back. She turned to the detective, "Same place. Same damn place."

Silver looked up, "What's the same place?"

"I'll explain later," Kelly wanted to shield Silver for as long as possible. She wanted Silver to focus on herself and healing before she gave her the disheartening information that even after ten years she would still feel the pain.

"What happened next?" The detective asked from behind Kelly.

Silver kept her eyes on Kelly, the one person she could trust, "I walked down the street. I was holding my phone up to see if I could catch a few bars. I wasn't paying attention. I didn't hear him until it was too late."

Kelly's stomach ached with the memories, and the anger, "He came up behind you?"

Silver nodded swiping at the never ending cascade of tears, "He pushed me from behind and into the alley where you found me. I hit the brick wall. He…he turned me around to face him. He had on a ski mask, but I felt like I knew him. His eyes seemed familiar but before I could really look at them he hit me."

Her hand instinctively floated up to the small butterfly bandage on her cheek, "He hit me and I fell down. He kicked me here."

She pointed to the section of her ribcage that was bandaged. Kelly was impressed with how calm her sister had become but then she remembered she had eventually went on autopilot to get through the hard questions.

_**The pain was unbearable but still Silver fought. She fought hard. She began to scream and took in quick glances of his face. His eyes. There was something about his eyes. She heard the faint click somewhere near her head and then saw the knife in his hand. It was sharp, and deadly as it traced a path across Silver's throat. She could feel his bare hand on her mouth, stifling a scream.**_

"I tried to scream but he covered my mouth and pulled out a knife."

Silver flinched as though she could feel the blade against her throat. Kelly held her hand. Silver smothered a sob and continued.

"He…he ripped my shirt…ripped it open."

_**The cold air Silver had only moments before been enjoying, invaded her skin as the man in the ski mask violently ripped her shirt open. He traced the knife across her chest leaving Silver with a shudder of fear.**_

"Did he say anything to you," Kelly asked as she glanced down at the notepad of questions.

Silver nodded and told them what was said.

_**Silver wanted to scream out, she wanted help. She wanted to live and be unscathed by the incident, but as his hands roamed her body, she knew that being unscathed was no longer a possibility. She pushed at his hands, praying he would go away. But he was only more forceful with his contact, grabbing Silver by the throat.**_

_** "Give me a reason to kill you, and I will."**_

_** Silver cried. Her tears fell to the dirty asphalt below. Her whimpering further angered him. **_

_** "Shut up, you snobby bitch."**_

The similarities were beginning to make Kelly very uncomfortable and as she glanced at the detective she knew the detective remembered these details as well.

Silver noted the exchange again and again ignored it, "He smelled like…like cleaning stuff. The spray for windows, like Windex. Anyway…He pushed up my…"

It was there that Silver lost it again. The images were bombarding her every breath and thought. She let Kelly hold her again until she found the courage to go on.

"He pushed up my skirt and cut off my…he cut off my underwear with his knife. He smiled. He smiled."

_**She could feel his hands on her bare thighs. She struggled against the knife and his body to push his hands away. But her small frame was no match for his animalistic power. He pinned her to the ground with his knees. She scratched at his neck drawing blood. She was rewarded with another backhand to the face. **_

_** He pushed and pulled until her skirt was above her hips. He laughed as he wrapped his hand around her neck and let the knife travel to the white cotton underwear. **_

_** "Nice," he said as he slipped the knife beneath the fabric. Silver froze with the contact of cold metal against her hip bone. She could feel his hand on her throat, but she stopped fighting, waiting for the knife to carve into her skin. Instead, it sliced through her underwear leaving her exposed to her attacker.**_

_** He looked at Silver, his eyes glazing over with unmistakable desire. His ski mask gave him a monstrous appearance that would be forever etched into Silver's memory. As he continued to hold her down with his weight, he slid the underwear into his pocket and undid his pants.**_

Kelly could imagine the lustful smile surrounded by a black ski mask.

"He put them in his pocket. He kept them."

Kelly glanced back at the notepad. She read the next question and wanted to vomit. She wasn't sure she could handle much more. She looked at Silver's empty blue eyes and knew she had to handle anything that came her way so that she could help Silver find the light again.

Kelly took a deep breath, "Silver, I know this is hard, but can you describe anything about his body? Was there anything that was said or done during the…the rape?"

Silver closed her eyes and opened them again, blinking away the tears, "He was young like my age, maybe a little older. I don't know how old, but he was strong. Not muscular, but strong. I know he was strong because I fought him."

Kelly gave Silver a small sympathetic smile and tucked a stray dark strand of hair behind her ear, "I know you did, sweetie."

"He wanted to see me," Silver teetered between the exam room and her memory, "After he took my underwear, he held the knife at my throat again and looked at me…all of me. And I wanted to leave. I started to scream again but he held the knife to my mouth. He pressed it down."

Again, Silver's hand went to a wound. The small cut on her mouth had been made by the knife. Kelly's throat was beginning to close with the suffocating thought that she could have lost her sister.

_**As Silver struggles, cried, and prayed, everything grew still, and quiet. She dared to let her eyes pass over his face. He was staring at her body, each and every part of it. He was soaking in every detail of Erin Silver. She shivered in the cold air. The surface of the asphalt was digging into her back and shoulders. **_

_** Suddenly he was moving again. Silver never had another chance to fight. He was holding her down with all of his strength, his fingers digging into her wrists, his knees pinching and bruising her thighs. Silver called for help not bothering to worry about the knife any more. He backhanded her, quieting her into a stunned silence. And then he forced himself into her. **_

_** She looked around as she heard the familiar ring tone. She could hear Kelly's ringtone and as the stranger on top of her continued to kill a part of her soul, Silver's hand reached out searching for the phone. She couldn't find it.**_

_** When he was done abusing her, he stood up, zipped his jeans and kicked her again. The pain coursed through every inch of Silver's broken body. She allowed the pain to carry her away from the realization of what had just happened to her and take her away into darkness.**_

_** Before she blacked out completely, he smirked at her, "See you soon, Erin."**_

"He…he raped me, and he knew my name. I blacked out and came to later. Not long before you found me."

Silver looked to Kelly, half expecting to see an expression of disappointment, but she only saw love in her sister's eyes, "He knew your name?"

Silver nodded and looked from Kelly to the detective who was writing down the information.

"Kelly?" Silver began to cry again uncontrollably as she looked back to her sister, "Why Kelly? What did I do wrong?"

Kelly could no longer hold her tears in as Silver's words and defeated tone burned into her heart. She moved next to Silver on the bed and gathered her into her arms. Silver sank into Kelly her thin body curled up as tightly as possible.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Silver. Oh God, please believe me, Erin. This isn't your fault. Someday you'll know that. You didn't do anything wrong."

The detective slipped out of the exam room quietly giving the sisters some time alone. She immediately got on her cell phone. She identified herself with the records clerk on duty at the station.

"Yeah, Lou, I need whatever you've got on a rape case from ten years ago. I know how deep you'll have to dig, but I don't give a damn. I've got too many similarities here to not be cautious. Name on the file should be Kelly Taylor and if it's not under the victim's name then check under Joe Patch. I need those on my desk by sunrise."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Geez," Annie sighed as she sat back on the couch chewing another onion ring, "Navid, how do we get him?"

Navid and Annie had been hanging out at the Wilson's for several hours trying their best to concoct a plan strong enough to withstand the intelligence of Jasper Herman.

Navid shook his head and stretched, "I don't know. It's like…he's really going to have to mess up."

Annie nodded and rubbed her arm. A small bruise was forming where Jasper had pushed her from the car.

"How's the arm?" Navid was glad that Annie wasn't hurt worse.

Annie shrugged, "Nothing that won't heal. With his anger I'm sure it could have been more severe."

Annie knew she deserved worse than a push on the arm. She was still hiding the fact that she ran into and killed a man with her car. She knew that no matter what punishment she got it would never be as hard as she had been on herself.

Navid watched the array of thoughts crossing Annie's face. He hadn't seen much of her prior to the last week and knew she had been going through something. He could tell she was still going through something.

"Annie," Navid wasn't sure which question to ask. He decided on the most obvious one, "What's going on with you these days? You seem so lost."

Annie looked into Navid's dark eyes. His intense, soul searching gaze made Annie more than self-conscious. She crossed her legs underneath her on the couch and looked down at her hands. She shrugged as she finally looked up at Navid.

"I am lost Navid. And I would tell you what I'm going through, but…I'm not sure you would believe me, and if you believed me, I'm not sure you'd be able to stay out of trouble for it."

Navid tried to decipher the cryptic answer, but instead settled for an offer of friendship, "Well, if you ever need me, need anything, let me know, okay?"

Annie nodded and smiled, "First we need to catch the jerk in the midst of his dealings."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naomi Clark was furious. She was in desperate need for some girl talk. She had finally decided what to do about her college scheming. She dialed Adrianna's number again. She had seen her at school but hadn't had time to talk to her. The phone rang three times before Adrianna's voice mail picked up.

"Damn," Naomi stuck her tongue out at her cell phone.

She called Silver's phone and got no answer. Naomi looked at the time on her phone. It was after midnight. Where in the hell was everyone?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jasper stood under the lights of the Hollywood sign. He heard the car approaching before he saw it. He knew it was Adrianna. She was all about his pills these days. He sighed and stuck his hands in his pocket. He smirked upon feeling the object there. Before he could think about the fun he had had, Adrianna's voice broke into his reverie.

"Hey," she spoke softly, shamed by the measures she would stoop to, "Got my stuff?"

Jasper loved having control, "Got my money?"

Adrianna pulled a roll of twenties from her pocket, "Here."

Jasper pulled a bag of pills from his pocket. He failed to notice when a white cloth material floated to the ground behind him and beneath shrubs. Adrianna took note of the object and glanced to where it landed. She knew she was dealing with a psycho. She threw aside the thoughts and paid attention to what Jasper was doing. Jasper counted the bills as Adrianna counted the pills. She caught his full features under the lights. She noticed scratch marks on his neck

"What happened to your neck?" She asked not really caring, but curious nonetheless.

Jasper's hand floated to the scratches on his neck, "Some chick didn't pay enough. It got ugly."

His evil smirk turned Adrianna away. She quickly got back into the car and drove back down the hill. She thought intensely about the scratch marks and the white material, and she knew that somewhere, somehow, some girl was paying one hell of a price.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Annie said goodbye to Navid since 1am had come and gone. She went to the kitchen to grab a nighttime snack, too wired to sleep. She was surprised to see her dad sitting at the counter eating a bowl of ice cream.

"What's up, Dad?" Annie smiled as she entered the kitchen.

Harry Wilson turned to his daughter, surprised that she was speaking to him. It seemed as though they were always on again, off again as father-daughter, depending on Annie's mood.

Before Harry could mention the fact that Navid was leaving late, his cell phone, which was charging on the kitchen counter, began to ring. He and Annie both looked at it as thought it was a foreign object. Harry got up and grabbed it from the counter, thankful that Dixon was upstairs asleep.

Annie watched as her father answered the phone with a tense hello. She watched as his face paled, his frown deepened and his eyes grew sad. He nodded as he listened to the person on the other end of the line.

Finally Annie heard him say, "Thank you, Kelly. I'll make sure someone gets her homework for her. Not that she'll need to do it anytime soon. You know, for later. Just…just let me know if there's anything we can do. Annie? She's here."

Annie looked surprised that her father and Kelly were talking about her. She stood up, her hands shaking. What was happening?

A few minutes later and Harry ended the call and turned to Annie, his face had the "I'm sorry" expression. Annie's heart pounded in her chest. He had mentioned homework.

"Dad? Is it Silver? Is she okay?"

Harry shrugged, "I don't know sweetie. That was Kelly. She said that Silver was attacked tonight."

The word seemed foreign to Annie, "Attacked?"

Debbie came into the kitchen with a frown, "What do you mean Silver was attacked, Harry?"

"Kelly said she was…she was raped. Tonight, Silver was raped."

"Oh god," Debbie covered her mouth with her hand. "That poor kid."

Annie was stunned. All of the things she had been through since the beginning of summer, even almost being attacked by that ass of a boy. None of it compared, even remotely, to what her best friend…or ex-best friend was going through.

Annie felt the ache in her arm and thought of Jasper, "Do they…do they know who...who would do this to her?"

Harry shook his head, "No sweetie. They don't know, but Silver did say that the man who did this knew her name."

Deb sighed, "Well she's got all those webcasts or blogs or whatever. Could someone have been following her, you know, stalking her?"

Annie wanted to go to Silver. She wanted to be there for her. Annie got her keys from the pegboard by the back door. Debbie shook her head, "No Annie."

"Mom," Annie turned to them with tears in her eyes, "I have to go to her. She'll need me. I need to be there for her. Please."

Debbie and Harry knew that even if they forbade Annie to go to Silver's house she would go anyway. They were simply impressed that Annie was thinking about someone else for once.

Debbie hugged Annie, "Call us when you get there."

Annie nodded and rushed out into the cold November night. She had to get to Silver as soon as possible. Even if Silver didn't want to see her, she would wait on the porch until she was allowed in the house.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Silver combed out her wet hair with trembling hands. She had showered immediately upon arriving home. She knew Kelly would be calling Harry Wilson and she knew Mr. Wilson would tell Annie. She thought about the shame welling up within her and wondered if she would be able to talk to Annie without feeling out of place, and beneath everyone else.

Kelly knocked softly on her own bedroom door. She knew that right now, her little sister needed privacy over anything else but having her out in the garage room was not an option. Kelly needed to keep her close. She waited a few minutes before Silver finally opened the door. Kelly looked at the freshly scrubbed face before her.

She placed a gentle hand on Silver's uninjured cheek and smiled softly. Despite her wisdom and intelligence, Silver was still the innocent kid that Kelly had always known. She was innocent, and kind, and good.

"How are you holding up?" Kelly asked, as Silver crawled into the queen-sized bed.

Silver drew her knees up to her chest and shrugged. Her blue eyes seemed bluer than ever. Kelly tucked a wet strand of hair behind her sister's ear, "Well, we'll just take it one day at a time, from here on, okay?"

Silver nodded and slowly guided herself down to the pillow and under the covers. Kelly sat on the edge of the bed, one hand on Silver's hand. She stood up to leave but felt herself being pulled back down.

"Please don't leave me alone tonight, Kel." Silver looked up at her with wide eyes, the fear prominent. "Please don't leave me alone."

Kelly nodded, "I won't. I promise."

She looked thoughtfully at the mp3 player on the dresser, "Do you want me to play some music? Maybe to help you sleep?"

Silver half nodded as her eyes grew tired, "Nothing sad. Please."

Kelly turned the music on to her playlist of classical music. She looked at Erin for approval, but the girl was already fast asleep. Kelly slipped under the covers with the fragile girl. Kelly watched her sleeping and knew, from experience, that the sleep would abruptly end. Kelly kept her promise and remained next to Silver.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Annie knocked softly but got no response. She called her parents and told them she had made it to Kelly and Silver's house and that she was going to spend the night. Despite the cold seeping into the ever-darkening night, Annie sat down and propped herself against the wall of the front porch. Eventually someone would answer the door.

She leaned her head against the door and pulled her jacket tighter around her. She could hear the faint sound of classical music from somewhere inside. She imagined Silver, bruised and scared, and the thought broke her heart. She laid a hand on the door and knew she was going to make amends with Erin Silver…even if it killed her.


	3. Hurt

3

Hurt

The sun was still hiding beneath the horizon as Annie opened her eyes. She had slept off and on throughout the night alternating between shivering with cold and shuddering with worry. She glanced at her watch and yawned at the 4am hour. She had not heard any screams or sounds resembling nightmares. That was her one good thought as she stretched out her legs and popped her back.

She leaned her head back against the door frame and wondered how long it would be before Silver would be awake. She thought about Naomi and Adrianna and she knew that they would probably be Silver's first pick when it came down to needing a friend, but Annie didn't care. She wanted, and needed, to be there for Silver. Annie felt the need for atonement.

She drifted back to sleep slowly with thoughts of the future, the past, and the saddening present.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Silver felt as though she couldn't breathe. The darkness surrounded her and only a pair of eyes was visible as she struggled against invisible arms. She knew she was in a nightmare and still she couldn't wake herself up. She felt hands on her and finally broke through the blackness. She sat straight up, screaming.

With each breath, her vision grew clearer. Her sister's kind, concerned face was staring back at her. She felt her racing heart slow to a steady pounding. Kelly's strong, but gentle, arms wrapped around her, ensuring her safety. She sighed as she sank against Kelly.

"You're safe now," Kelly spoke softly as she pulled away from Silver to inspect the bruising on her face.

Silver frowned and shrugged, "Will I ever feel safe again?"

Kelly thought about it momentarily before giving the stock answer that Erin needed to hear, "You will."

Silver closed her eyes and quickly opened them. He was haunting her every time she closed her eyes. She looked and saw her older sister wiping away a tear. It moved her that Kelly felt her pain, but it did not surprise her. She knew her sister was and always had been there for her. A self-conscious thought briefly invaded her mind.

Kelly squeezed Silver's hand, "Want some coffee?"

Silver nodded. She was far from hungry, but caffeine sounded perfect. She slid out of bed. Her body begrudged the movement with a bevy of pain. Silver sat on the edge of the bed and exhaled slowly as she gripped her sides.

Kelly frowned, "Your ribs?"

Silver nodded. Kelly reached for a bottle on her dresser, "Here, take one of these."

Silver looked at the pill in Kelly's hand, "What about my other meds?"

"Don't worry. I double checked with the doctor and there are no interactions. This is just a pain reliever."

Silver looked at Kelly with a hint of panic in her eyes. The thought of taking something that would make her sleep terrified her. She looked down at the pill in Kelly's hand and back at Kelly again.

"Don't worry," Kelly was reading Silver's thoughts, "Sleep is not a side effect."

Silver nodded slightly and took the pill with a glass of water Kelly had in her hand. She looked at the clock on the bedside. It was just after 5 in the morning. Her mind was numb, on autopilot. She wanted to do something, but didn't want to leave the safety of Kelly's room. She looked at her trembling hands in her lap. She had never felt so small, ashamed, insignificant, worthless, or defenseless in all of her life.

Kelly slipped her hand into one of Silver's, "You will get through this. That's not an empty promise. I know right now, this morning, your whole life has stopped. It has come to a standstill at the hands of a real bastard. But I promise you Silver, you will get through it. You will laugh again. You will smile. You will breathe. You will feel safe."

She kissed Silver on the side of the head, and Silver relished the maternal gesture. She thought about her mother and her heart sank.

"Kel…we can't tell Mom, okay?"

Kelly thought about the fact that her mother never knew what had happened to her either. Despite the shooting and the obvious changes, Jackie never once knew, "Don't worry, Silver, it's for you to tell."

Silver knew Kelly had called Mr. Wilson, "What about Annie's dad?"

"I told him because he needed to know why neither of us would be in school for a while. Besides, you'll need your friends when you're ready."

The thought of anyone knowing exactly what happened to her made her want to crawl under the covers and hide forever, "Kelly, I don't want…"

"I know baby. Believe me, I know, but your friends, even one friend, can make the difference between healing and hiding forever," She thought about Dylan, Donna, Janet, and Steve. Even Matt had been there for her as she had healed.

Silver thought about Kelly's knowing tone. She thought about how concerned for her safety Kelly had always been. She wondered why Kelly was so overprotective of her. Silver almost shrugged at the thought realizing how many horrible things there were that Kelly could protect her from.

"Let me go get you that coffee," Kelly ran a hand over Silver's hair as she stood to go.

Silver cleared her throat, "Can I just…I'll just go with you."

Kelly nodded sadly, remembering what it was like to want to not want to be alone, "Come on."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Adrianna tossed again in her bed. Sleep had never come as she reflected on the things she had given up in the previous year. She had made mistake after mistake. The only thing she had no regret about was giving her baby a good home. She looked at the picture on her billboard of herself, Silver, and Naomi and began to wonder where exactly she went wrong. Her eyes shifted to a picture of Navid.

She knew then that having her cake and eating it too was exactly where she had gone wrong. She glanced at the clock. Ten minutes after 5. She groaned and pulled the pillow over her head. She had taken only one of the pills Jasper had given her.

She thought about the evilness of Jasper Herman. His eyes lacked emotion, she thought as she pictured his scowling face under the Hollywood sign. She knew that wasn't quite right either. His eyes actually held some form of emotion. It was almost a fiery gaze. Like a black flame looking to set someone's world ablaze with pain and terror.

Adrianna shivered and let her eyes pass back to Navid's photo. She found solace in his kind features. Navid would never hurt anyone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jasper turned left again and Navid followed. He was close enough to follow him without losing him, and far enough away to not be seen. Navid had borrowed his father's black Pathfinder. It was much more inconspicuous than the yellow Lamborghini.

He had been following Jasper since the previous evening, only losing sight of him once and for about an hour. Eventually Jasper had resurfaced three blocks away from where he had lost him to begin with. Navid couldn't believe his good fortune when Jasper had reappeared on the cross street in front of him.

He had followed Jasper to the road leading to the Hollywood sign and had waited there long enough to see Adrianna going up the hill only to return ten minutes later. Navid knew she was buying pills from Jasper. If only he could get her to admit it, then he could have some evidence against Jasper.

He thought about Annie and how hard she had been working in order to bring Jasper down. He wasn't sure why she had changed her mind after adamantly sticking up for her boyfriend, but she had, and he was glad.

Navid flinched as Jasper slowed down in front of a house he recognized. They were in front of Ms. Taylor's house, where Erin Silver lived. Navid became nervous as he realized that Annie's car was parked in front of the house.

"What the…?" Navid whispered to himself.

Jasper pulled over and got out of the car. He made a phone call and then got back in his car and sped away. Navid wasn't sure if Jasper knew Annie had been there, or if it had been a sheer coincidence that she had.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jasper slammed his fist against the dashboard as he drove away. He couldn't figure out why Annie would be asleep on the doorstep of the house of someone she was allegedly not friends with any more. And what infuriated him even more was that she wasn't the girl he was hoping to see.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kelly poured the coffee as Silver sat on the couch. She tightly curled herself against one end. Kelly handed the hot cup to Silver and wrapped a throw around her. Silver looked into the cup. Kelly had only poured it halfway and Silver grew curious as to how exactly Kelly knew everything she needed even before she did. She felt her hands trembling and knew that with a full cup she would spill the beverage.

Silver looked up into Kelly's soulful blue eyes, "Thank you."

"Don't thank me," Kelly sat down next to Erin, "I love you. I would do anything to make it better for you. And if I can make one minute of this…if I can make one minute easier, then I will. Right now, and until I know you feel safe again, you are my top priority. Your safety is my only concern."

"What about Sammy?" Silver asked truly concerned.

Kelly smiled softly, "When are you going to realize, Erin? You were my first child. You are my sister, but with Mom the way she was, I felt like you were born to be mine. You are my kid too. And Sammy is gone until December with his father. He's safe. You are my priority."

Silver rubbed away a few tears, annoyed that they were beginning to fall again. She had managed to get through the night without shedding any more, but here they were, like an old dog back to serve its master.

Kelly wiped away one of Silver's tears with her thumb, "It's okay to cry, Silver. It's okay to feel whatever you want to feel about this. Okay?"

"Is that my sister talking or the child psychologist?"

Kelly shrugged, "Both."

She stood up from the couch, "I'm going to get the paper from the porch. Can I get you something while I'm up?"

Silver rechecked her hunger levels, "Maybe some toast?"

"Coming right up," Kelly kept one eye on Silver as she opened the door. She was frightened as a body came thudding across the threshold.

She looked quickly back at Silver who was already standing, her whole body shaking. Kelly looked down and saw Annie looking up at her sheepishly.

"Annie?" Kelly stifled a grin as she looked over the disheveled girl.

Annie got up quickly brushing herself off, "Sorry, Ms. Taylor. I heard about…well…I came last…I wanted to see Silver."

Kelly raised an eyebrow and took in the exhausted appearance of the girl, "How long have you been sitting against the door?"

"Um…a few hours. Like maybe four."

Kelly turned away from Annie and walked to where Silver stood, her head hanging down. Kelly recognized the stance of shame.

Kelly whispered to Silver as she hugged her, "If you want to be alone, I can tell Annie to come back."

Silver glanced up at Annie. She noticed the bashful smile of the smaller girl. She could tell how badly Annie wanted to be there. Silver thought about Kelly's words. She needed a friend and she couldn't depend on Kelly alone.

"It's okay," Silver nodded slightly to Kelly. Kelly returned the nod and left the living room. She squeezed Annie's arm as she passed and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Want breakfast?" Kelly called back to her as she headed toward the kitchen.

Annie answered, "Um. Sure, Ms. Taylor."

Annie waited until Kelly was out of sight before she turned toward Silver. She took in the sight of her ex-best friend. She was wearing loose pajama pants and had on a short sleeve top. The teal blue color of the fabric made her blue eyes sparkle, but as Annie looked closer she knew the sparkle was simply an optical illusion. In Erin Silver's eyes she saw a darkness that was similar to the darkness she had been seeing in the mirror for months, but deeper, more painful.

She glanced at Silver's arms and saw the bruises winding around the girl's wrists. She made mental note of the cut on the brunette's lip, the cut on her cheek that had the small butterfly bandage on it and was surrounded by a bruise.

Annie stepped closer to Silver. She wanted Silver to know that she wasn't afraid to be there, to know what happened and to be there. She wanted Silver to know that she wanted to be the kind of friend that Silver deserved. Not the kind of person who would listen and then never bring it up again, but the kind of person who would listen and know when to bring it up and when not to.

"I uh…I heard…from my dad."

Silver's hand instinctively flew to her lip and gently fell on the cut there. She nodded and sat back down on the couch, pulling the chenille throw around her.

Annie followed suit and sat close enough to Silver to hold her hand if needed, but far enough away to not invade her space.

"Is there anything I can do, Silver?"

Silver looked thoughtfully at the ground. She then turned her sad eyes to Annie's, "Annie, you can't tell anyone, please."

Annie shook her head, "It's not for me to tell, Silver. You told your sister, and the police…that's the most important thing."

Silver nodded again, happy to not be alone, but not sure what she should say. She looked at the door and back to Annie yet again, "Did you really sleep on my porch all night?"

Annie blushed, "Yeah. Well, you know. I heard and I wanted…needed to be here. I just…nothing else matters."

Silver's lips curled into almost a smile. The expression left Annie feeling an urge to hug her. She fought the feeling and instead turned so that she could fully face Silver.

"I'm sorry, Silver. I'm sorry about all the…madness. I'm sorry that we haven't talked. I'm sorry that I became someone completely detestable. I'm sorry."

Silver thought about the man who hurt her. She frowned more deeply, "You're not detestable, Annie. The…the person who…"

Silver wanted to talk, but she wasn't sure how to do so yet. It was so fresh, so soon. Only hours ago she had been pushed down and abused in that alley.

Annie nodded, "I understand. He…whoever it was…he's detestable."

Annie watched as a myriad of thoughts showed on Silver's face, "You know this isn't your fault, right?"

Silver shrugged, "That's what they kept telling me at the hospital."

"They're telling the truth Silver. You didn't ask for it. Okay? You're not at fault here. Not in one miniscule way."

They sat quietly for a moment before Annie remembered what her father had told her, "They said he knew your name."

Silver shivered under the cover as she remembered the way he spoke to her, "Yeah. He seemed so familiar Annie, like I'm supposed to know him. There was something familiar about his eyes."

As she spoke, her voice got softer and more fearful. Annie let her hand slide into Silver's and Silver gratefully accepted it. Silver allowed her tears to fall freely as she gave Annie the few details of her attacker, yet sparing her any information about the attack itself.

Annie listened with open heart and observant ears. She could hear the various inflections in silver's voice ranging from guilt to anger, from sadness to glimpses of hope. She memorized every detail that Silver gave her.

"They'll catch him Silver. I know they will. And if they won't, then I will."

Silver tried to smile again. It was good to have a friend there. Someone her age that understood her, "I'm glad you came Annie."

Annie nodded and smiled gently, "Me too."

"Will you do me a favor when you go to school Monday?" Silver looked pleadingly at Annie.

"Anything."

"Will you keep an ear out and see if anyone's talking about it. I mean, you're the only one who should know, so maybe…I don't know. Will you just listen?"

"Of course I will."

Kelly appeared from the kitchen, "I've got pancakes."

Silver's stomach turned as she thought about food. She was even growing nauseous at the thought of the coffee growing cold on the end table. She stood slowly gingerly holding her ribs as she did. Annie took note of the movement. Kelly was by Silver's side instantly.

Silver held Kelly's hand, "I want to lay back down for awhile."

"I'll walk you," Kelly offered. Silver accepted and looked to Annie questioningly.

Annie shrugged, "If it's okay with you guys, I'd like to just hang out here for a while."

Silver could read the look on Annie's face. Annie was loyal, forgiving, and worried. Silver nodded, "I'd really appreciate that."

Annie disappeared into the kitchen as Kelly took Silver to the bedroom. Kelly helped Silver lay down and then after making sure she was comfortable, she turned on the television.

"Just some background noise," she said looking at Silver.

Silver nodded, "Thanks."

Kelly didn't close the door. The idea of being separated from Silver by anything, even a door, made her sad. She returned to the kitchen and sat down at the table. Annie sat across from her looking at the pancakes on a plate.

Kelly sighed, "Yeah. I'm not hungry either."

"Is she going to be okay, Ms. Taylor?"

Kelly nodded, "Call me Kelly, and yes, Silver's going to be okay, sooner or later. She's been through something very difficult. It's not just her body, but it's her mind and soul that was breached in that alley. It's going to take time, but we'll help her through it."

"Thank you for letting me be here, Ms. Tay…sorry, Kelly."

Kelly placed her hand on top of Annie's, "She needs you here. It's really the reason I called your dad. I thought if you knew…you'd come."

"Nothing would have stopped me," Annie said honestly. "I've never met anyone like Silver before. She's so outgoing, honest, fun, deep, she's everything a friend should be, you know?"

"And she will be all of those things again, trust me."

Annie looked warily at Kelly and after studying her face for a few seconds she realized the situation, "You've been through this."

Her voice was low and cautious and still knocked Kelly off her guard. Kelly blanched. She thought she had been hiding it so well. Before she could respond to Annie's statement there was a knock on the door. Kelly glanced toward her bedroom door. She heard no sounds of panic.

She opened the door and was greeted by a tall uniformed police officer, "Good morning ma'am. Are you Kelly Taylor?"

"Yes I am, Officer. What can I do for you?" Kelly asked.

He handed her a green folder, "These are for you. Lead detective told me to get them to you to read over. It's last night's statement from your sister. They need to be read for accuracy and signed as soon as possible and returned to the station. I can send a patrol car around later to pick it up."

Kelly nodded and took the folder, "Thank you. I'll get this taken care of right away."

Annie stood at the threshold between living room and the foyer. Kelly closed the door and looked at Annie. Annie frowned. She knew that every detail of what had happened to Silver was in the folder. Part of her wanted to know, so she could really know what Silver was going through and the other part of her never wanted to see it.

Kelly sat down and placed the folder on the coffee table, unopened, "It was hard. Hearing the details. I thought when it happened to me that I would never go through something more horrible than that, but knowing it happened to her…it's much worse. So much worse."

Annie sat down. She couldn't believe that her guidance counselor was talking to her like she was an adult, because for some reason Annie felt more like a child than ever, "How long ago?"

Kelly took a deep breath, "Ten years ago. Same place."

Annie sat up straighter, "Same place as in same area or same place as in same place?"

"The second one."

"How in the world…" Annie was too stunned to say anything intelligent. She finally came out with, "What are the odds of that happened twice in the same family in the same place?"

"The odds are too great for it to be a coincidence, I know that much," Kelly spoke softly enough so that even if Silver was listening she would be unable to hear her, "Listen…I don't want Silver to know about any of what I just told you."

Annie nodded, "What are the police saying?"

"Too early for any kind of inference, I guess."

"My ass," Annie said. Kelly looked at her scornfully. Annie shrugged, "Sorry, but that's the police for you. They say they're going to do something about it and then you end up having to take care of it yourself."

Kelly grimaced. She thought about how many times she pulled the trigger when she shot Joe Patch. She shook her head, "Annie, you can't think like that. Trust me when I say that taking matters into your own hands is sometimes harder than the original crime you were a victim of."

Annie shrugged, "I trust you, but…I feel kind of useless."

"You're not useless. You just got here and already she's spoken more words than I expected her to. Silver trusts you and she knows that regardless of the fight the two of you were having, you won't hurt her. That's what she needs the most right now. People who won't hurt her, who don't expect anything from her. She needs people like you Annie. You're someone without an agenda when it comes to her. She's going to be open to that."

Annie nodded and sighed. She thought about Jasper, "Can I ask you a question about something else?"

"Sure," Kelly answered glad to change the subject for a few minutes, "What's going on?"

"Well, if I know someone is taking drugs, and I know who is dealing them, but I have no proof…what can I do?"

Kelly looked at Annie intensely, "You be careful. That's what you do."

Annie caught Kelly's drift. She knew she was treading deep water and one slipup could cause Jasper to get angry and then Annie would find herself in serious trouble.

"I'm going to check on Silver and then take a shower," Kelly said as she stood from the couch. "Feel free to read the statement. I know Silver won't mind and I'm sure she would tell you herself, but the pain is in the details."

Kelly disappeared leaving Annie alone with the green folder and a heavy decision to make.


	4. Monday

4

Annie put the green folder back down on the table. She had read the statement word for word. Every horrifying detail had made each breath she took harder than the one before. Her first friend in California, someone who had gone through enough humiliation in the previous year, had been brutalized and humiliated.

Annie committed every detail to memory as though she was learning lines to a play. She wanted to remember everything so that if she ever encountered the monster that hurt her friend, she would know how to identify him.

She thought about the underwear and shook with disgust. Somewhere out there was a souvenir of the crime against Silver. There was more than just bodily evidence that could connect him to his crime after catching him. There was evidence that would help catch him.

Just as Annie was about to check on Silver, her cell phone began to ring. She expected it to be her parents but was pleasantly surprised to see Navid's name on the caller ID. She accepted the call.

"Hello?"

Navid sounded worried, "Annie?"

"Hey Navid," Annie answered, "What are you doing up so early?"

"Never went to sleep. I spent the night following Jasper."

Annie's blood turned cold, "That's dangerous, Navid."

"I know. I'm beginning to think he's dangerous to everyone."

Annie stepped out on the front porch so Silver and Kelly wouldn't be able to hear her, "What do you mean?"

"Look at the street," Navid spoke.

Annie looked up and was shocked to see Navid leaning against the side of his dad's Pathfinder. She hung up the phone and walked toward him. They met in the middle of the yard.

"Navid?" Annie's mind was racing, "How did you know I was here?"

"I was following Jasper and this was one of the places he stopped."

Annie looked back at the house and frowned deeply thinking of her traumatized friend inside, "He came here?"

"So you didn't tell him where you'd be?"

Annie shook her head, "I didn't know where I was going to be until after midnight. How the hell…"

"Is Silver involved with him?" Navid was tossing out theories.

A thought passed fleetingly across Annie's mind. Silver's attacker had known her name, "I really don't think so."

Navid shrugged, "Maybe it was all coincidence."

Annie doubted it. "Could be. We'll have to make sure Silver is safe when she comes back to school though."

Navid caught the worry in Annie's voice. It was only then that he began to wonder why Annie was at Silver's house anyway, "Why are you here?"

Annie shuffled her feet and felt bad for lying to Navid, but did so anyway, "I thought it was time that Silver and I made up. She's too important for me to lose."

Navid could hear the truth in the words but knew that it wasn't the whole truth, "What did you mean when you said 'when she comes back to school?'"

"Apparently she has mono or something," Annie lied again, "She'll probably not be back to school for a while."

Navid grimaced, "That sucks. Poor Silver, she can't catch a break huh?"

"He has no idea," Annie thought to herself. Out loud she said, "Yeah, but she's strong. She's going to make it through."

Navid could still feel that Annie was talking around something but decided to let it go, "Maybe I could go say hi to her."

"No!" Annie said too quickly. "I mean, she's asleep, wouldn't want to disturb the patient would we?"

Navid shrugged, "Guess not."

Annie thought about Jasper again, "So you followed Jasper all night."

"Yeah," Navid remembered the missing time, "Well, there was about an hour that I lost him."

Annie thought about the information in the folder on Kelly's coffee table, "What time?"

"What time did I lose him?"

"Yeah," Annie clarified, "What time did he disappear, and where was it?"

Navid ran a hand through his dark hair, "It was near Huntington Boulevard around 7pm or so."

Annie's heart thudded in her chest, "That was the same time and place Silver was…"

Despite stopping herself from saying anything further, her fears were whispered loud enough for Navid to hear her, "Okay Annie, what's going on? What's really going on with Silver?"

Annie's eyes clouded with tears. She wanted to tell Navid, but knew it wasn't her place to say anything, "Look, Navid. I'd tell you if I could, but it's not for me to say."

Annie shivered at the thoughts of what her friend had been through. Navid hugged her out of instinct. He found himself caring very much about Annie and hated to see her upset, "When you need to talk…I'm here."

Annie pulled away from him and looked into his sweet brown eyes, "Thank you. And from now on, don't follow Jasper alone. He's too dangerous."

Navid and Annie said their goodbyes and Annie walked back inside. She could hear the shower running and wondered if Kelly always took showers that long. Annie slowly walked back to the bedroom and peeked around the corner. Silver was sitting against the headboard with her knees drawn to her chest. Her face was covered with tears, her eyes bright blue with the redness that surrounded them.

Annie hated seeing her friend in utter turmoil. She made her presence known and Silver jerked her head up in response. There was unmistakable fear in Silver's eyes.

"Mind if I come in?" Annie asked self-consciously.

Silver shook her head and was more than grateful when Annie crawled onto the bed next to her. She leaned her tired body against Annie's small frame. Annie wrapped an arm around Erin's shoulders being careful not to hurt the beaten girl.

Annie knew she needed to tell Silver about Navid, "Navid was just here."

Erin looked instantly embarrassed and afraid, "Did you tell him?"

Annie shook her head vigorously, "Absolutely not. We've just been…we've become friends and…well, we've been investigating Jasper and he was worried so he came here."

Silver thought about how strange Jasper had been at school the previous day. She thought about his cold blue eyes. She shivered against the fear and shook her head, "Why are you investigating Jasper?"

Annie heard the exhaustion with every word Silver spoke, "Drugs. Apparently Navid saw him dealing to Adrianna and I promised to help bring him down."

Silver looked at Annie with pride and worry, "Be careful, Annie."

"Yeah," Annie's voice was soft. She had forgotten how nice it was to have a best friend, to have someone who cared about you and worried about you despite the nightmare she was going through.

Annie hugged Silver a little more tightly glad to know she had Silver back in her life and no matter what it took Annie knew she was going to help her get through everything.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Silver groaned at the bruises, cuts, and scratches that covered her body. She had spent the rest of the weekend in the bed watching comedies with Annie and Kelly, sleeping when she could and hanging on tightly to her big sister when the nightmares prevented slumber. Annie had understood Silver's need to be close to Kelly and had graciously exited the room when Silver would break into sobs, or screams.

Silver was tired. Very tired. She pushed images of that night to the back of her mind and slipped on her t-shirt. Every muscle in her body resisted the motion but she ignored the pain. She brushed her hair and took her eyes off the mirror. She was tired of looking at her reflection.

She walked into the hallway to see Kelly dressed casually in jeans talking on her cell phone with her back to Erin, "I understand that, but I need it delivered here by the end of the week. I understand the position that puts you in but if you can't get this done for me, then you can screw yourself!"

Kelly hung up the phone with an eye roll and growl. Silver almost smirked for the first time since before Friday night, "Wow. Who was that?"

Kelly frowned and then shrugged, "Car dealer."

Silver looked perplexed, "Car dealer? Are you getting a new car?"

Kelly put her cell phone in her purse and chewed her bottom lip, "No. You are."

Silver was surprised. Had she not been so exhausted with pain and terror, she would have been ecstatic. Her voice became low and quiet, "I'm getting a new car?"

Kelly shrugged, "Is that okay? I just figured maybe you would feel…the scooter is great and all but maybe…"

Silver knew Kelly just wanted her to feel safe again. Silver hugged Kelly for the effort and although she knew a new car would never make her feel safe she would take it, "Thank you Kel."

Kelly nodded as she smoothed Silver's hair down, "It's a Prius."

Silver frowned as she thought about her attack, "It's good on gas mileage too."

Kelly hung her head. It hadn't even been her intention, "Silver…I didn't even think about that when I picked it. I just know how you are about the environment."

Silver swiped at her tears and shook her head, "I'm not going to cry today. I'm not."

"You don't have to go out today, Silver. If it's too soon, I'll pick up your work later in the week or we'll have Annie bring it."

Silver wrapped her arms around herself, "No. The sooner we get back to semi-normal the better it will be. Besides, Mom will worry if I don't get to her soon."

"Are you going to tell her?" Kelly asked.

"I don't know. Probably not. She has so much to deal with already. I mean, she's dying you know. I don't want…this….to be our last moments together."

Kelly could understand that completely, "You want me to pick you up when I'm done?"

Silver couldn't stomach the idea of driving the scooter to and from her mother's place, "Please."

Kelly nodded, "You about ready to go?"

"As ready as I can be I guess," Silver acknowledged knowing she hadn't been outside since she had gotten home the night of the attack.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Annie looked around the halls of the school. People talked here and there but she heard nothing involving Silver. She gathered her second period biology books from her locker and shut the door. She was met face-to-face by Jasper.

Her heart skipped a beat as his smile invaded her immediate space. She could feel the bruise still aching slightly on her arms and then she thought of all the bruises Silver was enduring.

"Annie, I just want to apologize for Friday," his voice was smooth and self-assured. "I was in a bad mood and the idea of Navid really makes me angry."

Annie shifted her weight from one foot to another, "Jasper, I don't know what to say."

She knew she should fake a forgiving smile to further her and Navid's investigation, but she couldn't stand the boy.

"Say you'll forgive me and go out with me tonight," Jasper smirked, "I've developed this awesome new scene and I want you to go through it with me."

Annie faked a half grin, "I thought we gave up on the movie making."

Jasper coolly slid an arm around her shoulders and hugged her, "I don't give up on anything."

Annie shivered at his response and despite her better judgment agreed to meet him after school for a few hours. Jasper smiled as though he was a fox who had eaten a hen and gotten away with it.

Annie was relieved to get away from Jasper and was even more relieved to run into Navid next. She smiled at him, "Hey buddy. Were you nearby the whole time?"

"Yeah. I could hear everything too. Are you really going out with him tonight?"

Annie shook her head, "Not alone. You're going to use those surveillance skills you've been practicing and follow us. There's no way in hell I'm spending one second truly alone with that boy."

Navid nodded and cocked his head to one side studying Annie carefully, "How's Silver?"

"She's okay," Annie thought of how often Silver had cried or screamed throughout the weekend. "She's going to be okay."

"Look, Annie," Navid's worry was etched across his face, "I know you can't really tell me what's going on with Silver, but just know that whatever it is, if you need me to help, just ask. You two are my friends and I've known Silver forever. I'll do anything to help you guys."

Annie bit her bottom lip wanting desperately to tell Navid what had happened and that she suspected Jasper of the whole thing, but that was a huge coincidence and huge conclusion to speak out loud with no evidence.

"Thanks Navid. There is more going on than I can tell you, but if something changes, you'll be the first to know."

Annie left Navid and travelled to her next class. It was the only class she had with her brother Dixon. She sat next to him and opened her book. Dixon knew something was wrong just by the way Annie bit her lip.

"Hey sis," Dixon whispered as he leaned toward her, "You okay?"

Annie was surprised realizing that she hadn't seen her brother since Friday afternoon and more surprised that her mother and father hadn't filled him in on the phone call they had received. Annie exhaled slowly and shrugged, "Just Monday, you know?"

Dixon shook his head, "Uh-uh. It's more than that. Does this have anything to do with why you jetted out of the house Friday night not to return all weekend?"

Annie swallowed the lump in her throat as images of her friend flashed through her mind. The knowledge of what happened to Silver would devastate Dixon. She knew that despite his protests he still loved Silver with every particle of his being.

"I can't tell you."

Dixon frowned, "Can't or don't want to?"

The teacher cleared her throat to gain the classes attention. Annie looked at Dixon and whispered back, "Want to, but can't."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Silver pulled her sleeves down so that they practically covered her hands. She watched her mother sleeping peacefully on the couch. Silver found her fingers flitter to the cuts on her face. She was lost in nightmarish thoughts when Jackie slowly awoke.

"Silver?" Jackie's voice was filled with worry. "Silver what happened?"

Silver quickly relayed the story she and Kelly had concocted, "Scooter accident. A didn't see the Chihuahua in time and swerved to miss it. Total wipeout."

"I always hated that scooter," Jackie frowned as she pushed herself to a sitting position with Silver's help.

Silver hid the pain that the motion caused her. She focused instead on spending quality time with her mother. She knew it was going to be a long day.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kelly made her way through the tables outside the café. She loved the food here but considering her lack of appetite she was glad they had good coffee as well. She finally saw the smile she had needed to see.

Donna stood up and wrapped her arms around Kelly, "Hey friend. You sounded so upset on the phone."

Kelly hugged her back and then they sat down. Kelly sighed and ordered a coffee from the eager waiter already at their table. Donna did the same and then focused all of her attention on Kelly.

"Kel, what's going on? No offense but you look exhausted."

"I am tired. It was a long weekend."

"It's more than that. Kelly, I know that look. You're lost."

"Friday night," Kelly started, her voice low, "Silver was driving home from our mother's. Her scooter ran out of gas and…"

Donna's eyes narrowed with worry, "And?"

"She couldn't get a cell signal so she started to walk to get to a phone. She was checking for a signal along the way and…she wasn't paying attention."

Donna waited patiently for Kelly to continue despite the fear that was growing inside of her for Silver.

Kelly swiped at a tear, "She was raped, Donna."

Donna's hand covered her mouth, "Oh God."

"There's more," Kelly didn't bother to wipe away the tears anymore, "It was in the same…the same alley."

Donna looked disbelievingly at Kelly, "You mean…where you were attacked?"

Kelly nodded, "Yeah, and the same detective is covering the case. Sergeant Cohen. The similarities between what happened to me and what has happened with Silver…Donna, it's not just coincidence."

"Does Silver know?"

"No," Kelly grimaced, "It's not the right time to put that on her."

Donna nodded, "When the time is right it will help her. You'll see."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Adrianna felt tired from withdrawal, but she kept going, knowing she had a purpose. She surveyed the lunchroom and finally found Annie. She was thankful that Annie was eating alone. She quickly glanced around and sat down across from the small girl.

Annie looked at Adrianna, surprise crossing her wide eyes, "Adrianna?"

Adrianna kept her eyes on Annie's, and her voice to a whisper, "Are you still dating Jasper?"

"I'm…" Annie wasn't sure how to answer. She saw the desperate look in Adrianna's eyes and decided to go with the truth, "No. Navid and I are working together to bring him down from his drug lord status."

Adrianna looked surprised, "Navid? Is it because of…"

"You? Yes." Annie replied, "We know Jasper had been dealing to you. Navid saw him and you."

"Oh," Adrianna let that thought soak in before continuing. "Listen Annie, I don't know how well you know Jasper, but he's very dangerous. I spent all weekend trying to shake this feeling that he's been doing something really, really bad."

Annie's curiosity was speckled with fear as she thought again about Silver, "Do you think he could hurt someone?"

Adrianna nodded, "Absolutely. Listen. I was…I might know where there's something he dropped. Something that might prove he's evil. If I get it, can you help me figure out what he's done? Then there'd be more things against him."

Before Annie could agree, Adrianna was disappearing into the crowd and out the side door of the cafeteria. Annie was perplexed. She wasn't quite sure what Adrianna was saying but she was pretty sure that Adrianna was on their side now.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Silver was watching another episode of 7th Heaven on Hallmark Channel, when there was a knock on her mother's front door. She glanced into her mother's room and saw that Jackie was still sleeping soundly. Silver thought about not answering the door until she heard the familiar voice accompanying the knock.

"Come on Silver I know you're in there."

Silver would recognize Naomi's voice anywhere. Silver's hand traced the cut on her lip. She wasn't sure if she could handle Naomi's remarks and comments. She loved the girl, but tact was not her strong suit. As Naomi knocked harder, Silver decided to open the door before it woke her mother.

Naomi crossed her arms over her chest in a defiant manner as the door opened. As soon as she saw Silver's bruised and cut face, her defiance quickly dropped into concern.

"Silver?"

Silver shook her head and whispered, "Don't ask, please."

Naomi followed her inside and closed the door, "What happened to you? Is this why I couldn't reach you all weekend?"

Silver shrugged and saw on the corner of the couch pulling her knees to her chest. Naomi sat next to her and placed a gentle hand on Silver's knee.

"Come on Silver, you got to trust me here. What happened to you?"

Silver sighed as she thought about the repercussions of telling Naomi. She wasn't sure if Naomi was mature enough to handle what had been done to her. As she saw the overwhelming concern in Naomi's eyes, she thought about what Kelly had told her. She had to trust her friends and lean on them.

"It happened Friday night," Silver began pausing to see if Naomi was going to interrupt. Naomi looked at Silver with only patience and worry.

Silver continued, "I was on my way home from here, and…I was…I was raped."

She found it difficult to look in Naomi's eyes as she recounted the basics of the event. Naomi said nothing but instead wrapped her arm around Silver's shoulder and pulled her close to her. Silver relished the comfort.

After several minutes, Naomi said, "Does anyone else know?"

"Kelly's the one who found me in the alley. She took me to the hospital and I told the police. And Annie knows."

"Annie?" Naomi asked. Silver could hear the contempt for the name in Naomi's tone.

"Kelly called Mr. Wilson to let him know what was going on, you know…why I wouldn't be at school for a while…he told Annie. Annie showed up at my house and ended up sleeping on my doorstep all night until we finally woke up."

Naomi scoffed, "She's so pathetic. She sleeps with Liam and she stalks you."

Silver grew angry with Naomi in defense of Annie, "Naomi. Don't. Annie helped me a lot. She's going to keep helping me."

Naomi knew she was being selfish, "I'm sorry, Silver. Maybe I should talk to Annie. Put this behind us…for you."

The thought of peace between two of her best friends sounded like heaven, "Please. Please do that."

Naomi nodded, "I will. But first…I'm sorry this happened to you, Silver. We're going to make sure we find who did this and we're going to make sure that you know how loved you are."

Naomi hugged Silver again and left. Silver stared at the closed door wondering how long Naomi would put up the peaceful front with Annie. The thought of the two of them talking made her nervous. She knew it wasn't going to be pretty. She could only hope that Naomi would retract her claws until she was strong enough to mediate.


	5. Friend Like That

**5 – Monday Night**

Silver looked at her sister behind the wheel of the car. Kelly's blue eyes were darkened with whatever was on her mind. Silver had never really taken the time to study Kelly's face. She knew her sister very well and their relationship was very deep, but she had always regarded Kelly as a mother-figure and never really took note of her as a fellow woman, as a friend.

The lines in Kelly's forehead were drawn in thought. Her lips were a thin line of contemplation. Silver felt the impending darkness of night outside the car. She drew her feet up onto the seat and encircled her knees with her thin arms. She shivered slightly as she thought about being held down on asphalt.

Kelly instinctively turned the heat on in the car hoping the warmth would give her sister some solace. She reached a hand to Silver's and it was graciously accepted. Silver tried to smile but was aware that it came across more like a frown.

"You're amazing, Kelly," Silver spoke softly.

Kelly shook her head, her thoughts filled with the past, "No. No I'm not.

Silver could see the strength in Kelly's demeanor, but for the first time she caught a glimpse of what she could only describe as fear. Silver swallowed the lump in her throat and wondered, not for the first time, what Kelly was hiding.

"Why are you so hard on yourself?" Silver asked Kelly.

Kelly shrugged, "There's a lot about me you don't know Silver. Things that happened before you were old enough to understand."

Silver sat up dropping her feet back to the floorboard, "Like what?"

Kelly debated again whether or not she should tell Silver the truth about what happened in the same alley ten years earlier. She had been debating it all day, even making calls to Donna, who encouraged her to tell Silver the truth.

"We're almost home," Kelly stalled, "We can talk when we've settled in."

Silver nodded. She knew what Kelly had to tell her was big, and she certainly didn't want to have a sensitive conversation in the front seat of a darkened car.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Adrianna pulled her car to a stop near the Hollywood Sign and grimaced as she thought about Jasper. She knew she had to quickly find what he dropped that night and leave before anyone else showed up. She opened the door and quickly climbed the embankment near the sign.

Having been under the influence when she saw Jasper the last time, she couldn't quite remember under which section of underbrush it had fallen. She grabbed a stick and poked around the foliage finding nothing. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly trying to calm her nerves.

Just as she was about to start searching again, there was a loud clap of thunder directly overhead. Adrianna jumped. Before she could race back to her car, a downpour of cold rain drenched her clothes and hair. She slid into her car and slammed her palms against the steering wheel.

She really wanted to get Jasper and to help Annie and Navid. Adrianna knew how many times she had messed up and she was tired of being that girl. She wanted to prove she was getting clean and wanted to prove she was a worthy human being.

She looked up at the torrential rain and knew that no matter what she found, any possible evidence would be washed away or at the very least, compromised. She let out a growl of frustration as she turned the key in the ignition. She steered the car back toward the main roadway and tried to come up with a plan. She knew that one way or another Jasper Herman was evil and deserved to pay for something. She just wasn't sure what.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After wrapping up the last editorial detail for The Blaze, Navid looked at his watch. It was time to head toward the diner where Annie was planning on meeting Jasper. Navid felt nervous as he pulled his keys out of his pocket and surveyed the nearly empty parking lot. Something felt strange about the acrid air. In the distance there was the faint smell of rain on asphalt.

He opened his car door surprised to find it unlocked. He couldn't remember if he had locked it or not that morning when he gotten to school. He had been so worried about Annie, it was possible that he had forgotten. He shrugged it off and slid into the driver's seat. He turned the key in the ignition. Nothing happened. Navid's heart skipped a beat as he thought about Annie waiting at the diner, a ball of nerves herself.

He turned the key again and it made no sound. Nothing. He quickly popped the hood and got out of the car. He lifted the hood and began to survey the inner workings. It was a complicated engine with lots of electrical wires. As he began to study them carefully he found the trouble. The main electrical hub had been sliced all the way through.

Navid knew there was absolutely no way the wires had cut themselves. He quickly pulled out his cell phone and dialed Annie's number. He ran a nervous hand through his hair as he waited for the connection. He felt bile rise in his throat as Annie's voicemail picked up.

After the beep, Navid said, "Annie. Wires in my car were torn and I know Jasper was involved. You've got to get away from him Annie. I'm not going to be able to follow you. Call me when you get this so I'll know you're safe."

Navid hung up the phone and called Dixon. He was relieved when Dixon answered the phone, "Oh thank god. Dixon you've got to come and get me as soon as you can."

Dixon sounded annoyed, "What's so important man?"

"Dixon, just come get me. There's some big stuff going on and it involves your sister."

Dixon didn't hesitate any longer, "Where are you?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Annie looked at her phone again. She couldn't believe her battery was dead. She slipped the gadget back into her purse and forced a smile onto her face as Jasper entered the diner. He nodded toward the waitress and ordered a coffee.

"Hey babe," Jasper said to Annie as he leaned down to kiss her on the cheek.

Annie couldn't stand the feel of his lips on her skin, but she smiled at him anyway as he sat down in the booth across from her. He grabbed up one of her hands in his and caressed it with his thumbs. She had to physically fight the urge to jerk her hand away.

"How was the rest of your day?" Jasper asked Annie, his voice filled with lovey-dovey sentiment.

Annie shrugged, "The usual. Drama from one place or another. Nothing to really talk about."

Jasper looked down at their hands and back up at her, "Where was your friend Erin today?"

Annie's stomach lurched as Jasper used Silver's first name. She thought about the saddened face of her best friend and knew that Jasper Herman was vicious enough to hurt her. Annie slid her hand from Jasper's.

"Why do you want to know about Silver?" Annie asked cautiously, afraid of both his answer and his reaction.

Jasper smirked, "Why? Are you jealous that I asked?"

Annie swallowed the disgust she could taste with every glance of Jasper. She shook her head, "No, of course not. I just…I just didn't realize you really knew Silver."

"I don't," Jasper shrugged half-heartedly, "Just from those interviews she did about my uncle."

Jasper looked at Annie pointedly and Annie took the hint. Blackmail was vicious. Jasper stood up and held his hand out for Annie. She took it reluctantly and followed him out of the diner, just as the waitress was bringing him his coffee.

Annie could feel the violent tug on her wrist as she looked around for any sign of Navid's car. He was nowhere to be seen. She only hoped it was a testament to his keen surveillance skills.

"How about you and I go back to my house? My dad's out and we could…"

Annie wanted to throw up. She smiled at him apologetically, "I can't, Jasper."

Jasper's slick smile fell and was replaced quickly with the angry snarl he was usually sporting, "Why not, Annie?"

"I have to be home soon. Like very soon. Lots of homework, angry parents. It is a school night after all."

Jasper gripped her hand more tightly. She flinched, "You're hurting me, Jasper, let go."

"Why are you really leaving, Annie. Are you meeting Navid to talk about me?"

Annie shook her head vigorously, "No, Jasper, I swear. I just…I need to check on something."

Jasper put a hand under her chin and pulled her face close to his, "Are you checking on Erin?"

With that, Annie knew her assumption had been right. She couldn't prove anything but she was nearly positive that Jasper was the one who had raped her friend. He was the one who had made Silver's life a living hell.

"Just remember, Annie," Jasper said, spittle hitting Annie's face, "I own you."

He let her go and Annie did not hesitate to run quickly away. Her car was parked down the street. She climbed into it quickly and knew where she needed to go.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Silver settled herself gently onto the couch. Her ribs resisted the motion and she flinched with the pain. She held her breath as she leaned back against the cushions. She let her breath out slowly and looked up at Kelly, who was pacing in front of her in the living room.

Silver felt nauseous. She knew whatever Kelly was about to tell her was big. Anytime Kelly had something to say that was difficult, she paced. Silver watched her sister as she paced some more biting her lip and wringing her hands. Silver let Kelly collect her thoughts.

After a few seconds, Kelly finally stopped and sat down on the coffee table. She could barely take her eyes off the floor. She knew that telling Silver about her own rape would help the young girl, but she also knew that revealing that secret to her younger sister was difficult.

Kelly had always been Silver's protector, her confidante, her mother-figure. But as she looked into Silver's less-than-alive blue eyes that used to sparkle, she knew she had failed as a protector. She knew that she had to tell Erin. She had to give her some hope.

"Kelly?" Silver's voice waivered with fear.

Kelly slid her hand into Silver's and smiled reassuringly, "Let me start by saying this. You will get better with time, Silver. You will feel safe again. You will feel whole."

Silver shrugged and frowned, "How can you be so sure?"

Kelly took in a deep breath and began, "Ten years ago, I was going to meet Dylan for coffee. He was having a pretty tough night and I wanted to be there for him. I had parked my car and was walking down the street when someone came from behind me and pushed me into the alley."

_**Silver felt the cold hand on the back of her neck, pushing her roughly into the brick wall.**_

Silver looked at Kelly, eyes wide, as Kelly continued, "He was very violent as he pushed me down into a pile of garbage bags and raped me at knifepoint."

Images from her own nightmare event rocked through Silver's mind. She couldn't believe her strong, steady sister had ever been through this. She wanted to be angry with the world, she wanted to scream at the top of her lungs, but all Silver felt was tired. Tired, and scared, and incensed that anyone would hurt Kelly.

Kelly wiped away a tear from Silver's face, and then her own. She didn't want to reveal any more similarities between what happened to Silver and what had happened to her. She knew that was better left for the police to figure out. Kelly moved to the couch next to Silver and took her in her arms. Silver leaned into Kelly with her whole body.

Kelly smoothed down Silver's hair, and sighed, "My point in telling you was so that you can know. It does get better. You'll always remember and some days will be harder than others, but sooner or later there will come a time when you can laugh, and enjoy life again."

The thought of happiness or laughter seemed foreign to Silver. She couldn't imagine really laughing. She couldn't see any happy images in her head. The only thing she could see when she closed her eyes were the revolting, painful, horrifying images a rapist had left in her head.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Annie walked into the police station not really sure what she was there to do. The uniformed officer at the front desk eyed her for a few seconds before clearing his throat, "Something I can help you with sweetheart?"

Annie nervously shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans, "I'm not sure."

The man stepped from around the desk and approached Annie calmly as though he was approaching a wounded animal. Annie looked at the ground. She knew she couldn't really suggest that Jasper had viciously raped Erin Silver without some sort of evidence. And yet she couldn't walk out of the police station without telling the detective in charge of the case that she had suspicions.

Before the officer could speak to her again, Annie looked up into his kind brown eyes, "I need to talk to someone about a rape that was reported this past Friday. I need to talk to the detective who is investigating. I might have information she needs."

The officer nodded slightly seeing Annie's hesitation, "Okay. Let me look at the case log. Do you know the victims name?"

Annie nodded and gave him Silver's full name. The officer's eyes flinched with a spark of recognition, "Sergeant Cohen is handling that case. She just came back from dinner. I'll go get her."

Annie fiddled with the hem of her shirt until finally the officer came back followed by a woman in her mid to late 40s. The woman stretched her hand out to Annie, "I'm Sergeant Cohen. I hear you might have information on the Erin Silver case?"

Annie nodded and glanced at the man behind the desk. Sergeant Cohen nodded and motioned for Annie to follow her. She led her down the hall and to an interview room. They sat facing one another across a wooden table. Annie felt like she was in a scene from a television show, only Silver was really hurting, and Jasper was very dangerous.

"What information do you have, Ms…"

Annie realized she had failed to introduce herself, "Sorry, Annie. Annie Wilson."

"Ms. Wilson?"

Annie inhaled deeply, "Silver, Erin Silver, we call her Silver, she's one of my best friends."

"Do you know something that could help us catch who did this to her?" Sergeant Cohen looked hopeful which told Annie that they had no leads so far.

Annie shook her head, "I don't have any proof of anything. Just feelings and…what's the word you guys use? Circumstantial stuff."

Sergeant Cohen nodded, "Tell me anyway. It's amazing how far feelings can actually get you in a case. Do you have a feeling you know who did this to her?"

Annie divulged all the information she had about Jasper Herman to the detective. She spoke about Jasper's sudden interest in Silver, the drugs, everything. Sergeant Cohen listened intently. When Annie was finished, Sergeant Cohen put down her pen and leaned back in the chair.

"You're right Annie, there's not much to go on."

Annie's shoulders sagged with the confirmation. She nodded her head and got up to go. The detective placed a gentle hand on her arm, "I said it's not much, but it's something to start with."

Annie paused and settled back in her chair, "So you're going to look into him as a suspect or whatever?"

The older woman nodded, "I will certainly keep my mind open about it. It's an unusual case with implications of ties to another case."

Annie frowned, "Ms. Taylor told me about it."

"Then you know we're dealing with something a little more complicated here than a common street thug. This person, he intentionally targeted Ms. Silver. This is actually a benefit to us, because now there's something out there that ties the perp to Erin Silver. So, your feelings point to this Jasper Herman fellow. I say it's worth finding out if there's a connection."

Annie sighed with relief, "Thank you detective. You don't know how worried I am about her safety."

Cohen nodded again, "I can imagine. Do me a favor and stay away from this Jasper character until we find out if her's connected to the case. Please."

"Yes ma'am, gladly," Annie said as she felt the bruise forming between the bones of her hand where Jasper had grasped her hand too tightly

They both stood, Detective Cohen thanking Annie for coming in and Annie thanking Detective Cohen for listening. Annie exited the police station and returned to her car. She locked the doors once she was settled inside. She noticed her cell phone's alert light was blinking letting her know she had voicemail.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naomi paced back and forth in her stylish bedroom holding an open but unread magazine. She had been at home since she left Silver's mom's house. Her mind was a hurricane of emotions and ideas. She secretly planned all the tortuous ways she could kill whoever had hurt her friend. The emotions were harder to deal with. Naomi never was one to relish caring and sensitivity, but when it came to Erin Silver, there was nothing but caring and sensitivity.

She looked at the phone expecting it to ring, "Come on already!"

She threw the magazine at the bedside table and threw her hands up in disgust. She sat down on the edge of the bed and began to recall everything she knew about Silver. Her whole life they had been friends with the exception of those miserable years when she was a complete bitch to the only girl who cared enough to be her true friend.

Naomi looked at a framed picture on her dresser. Among pictures of Naomi and her sister Jen, Naomi and her parents, and Naomi and a few celebrities, there was a picture of Naomi and Silver. It was a picture from when they were 12 years old. Kelly had taken them to the beach and snapped the picture while they ate snow cones in the sand.

She did not bother to stop the tears from falling onto her porcelain skin. She was completely heartbroken for the only friend that had ever cared for her. Naomi thought about Annie and all the trouble they had caused each other and the impossible position they had put Silver in. Naomi was going to make it her personal mission to make things right with both of them.

The phone began to ring startling Naomi to her feet. She answered the phone with a curt tone, "About freaking time."

As she listened to the voice on the other end of the line, she nodded her head and then shrugged, her voice soft and concerned, "So you really think that? All I know is that I want this son of a bitch found any way possible and I really need your help to do it and I'm willing to follow any lead you have. Just tell me what I need to do, Annie. I will do anything for Silver."


	6. I'm Not Ready to Make Nice

**6-Tuesday**

"I know, Dylan," Kelly hated having to talk to her ex, especially concerning the attack of her little sister, but for Sammy's sake, she would do anything. "If you can keep him a few more weeks that would really help. I don't know. It's worse than when…"

She couldn't bring herself to talk about it with him. Somewhere inside he knew she had partially blamed him, even if she didn't realize it. "Anyway…it's bad and I want her to be a little more stable before Sammy comes back. She needs 100% of my attention right now."

She nodded as though Dylan could see her, "I know you do. You are really a great man, Dylan McKay. Take care of my baby, okay."

They said their goodbyes and hung up the phone. Kelly sat back in the leather chair, and scanned the pile of paperwork on her desk. The bell rang throughout the halls indicating the end of school. She wondered how Erin was doing at their mother's house. She sought out the framed picture on her desk. Silver was blowing out candles on a cake. Kelly snapped the shot on Silver's 16th birthday and had always loved the way the light had highlighted the girl's brilliant blue eyes.

As she thought about the darkness and pain that had come to settle where the blue used to shine, there was a knock on her office door. Kelly quickly wiped away the stray tear that had taken up residence on her cheek and stood to open the door. As she did her hand brushed a piece of paper onto the floor. Kelly picked it up and felt her heart sag with heaviness as she realized it was the note Silver had written to her before leaving school the day she was attacked.

Another knock at the door indicated an impatient student. Kelly glanced at her calendar as she put the note in the pocket of her blazer. She had no appointments scheduled. She opened the door and found herself looking into the intense gaze of Jasper Herman.

"Jasper?" Kelly knew Jasper from various encounters during school. She had also talked to him when his uncle had been killed. She could remember him clearly. He had been cooperative, but something in the way he never lost eye contact unnerved Kelly.

"May I come in?" Jasper was looking past Kelly into the office. Kelly stepped to the side and Jasper sauntered in and plopped down in one of the soft chairs across from Kelly's desk.

Chills ran up and down Kelly's spine as she turned and looked at the back of Jasper's head. He turned his head sideways and Kelly's heart stopped as she noticed four fading lines on the boy's neck. Her hands shook as she slowly closed the door and returned to her seat, never removing her eyes from the marks on Jasper's neck.

Jasper's voice was emotionless, "Gatsby."

Kelly blinked and forced a smile on her face, "I'm sorry, what?"

"You were looking at my neck. My stupid cat Gatsby got a hold of me Saturday morning when I was trying to get him in the carrier to take him to the vet. Bled for a while. I hope I don't get cat scratch fever."

His chuckled seemed out of place and forced to Kelly, but she decided to ignore it and ask Annie about Jasper later. She knew from Silver about Annie and Jasper and their weirdness. She smiled at Jasper, her mind still on the scratches on his neck. Images of Silver, broken and bleeding in the alley tore through Kelly's mind.

"Jasper, what can I do for you?"

Jasper shrugged, "I actually was here to see how Erin is doing."

Kelly shivered again at the way he spoke Silver's name. She knew her sister well enough to know that none of her real friends ever called her Erin. It then dawned on Kelly that he was asking about her sister. She wondered if Annie had told him what had really happened or if he had heard something else.

Jasper spoke again, not waiting for a response, "It's just that Annie told me she had mono or something and I wanted to make sure there wasn't something I could do, like bring her some homework or something."

"Don't you go near her," Kelly's voice was forceful and protective. Her brain wasn't fast enough to stop her mouth from belying her true thoughts.

Jasper's eyes flashed with anger, but his voice was calm, almost robotic, "Excuse me?"

Kelly scrambled to come up with something to say, "I just meant, because she's probably very contagious and you shouldn't go near her. You can't afford any more missed days, right?"

Jasper nodded slowly and grinned, "Right."

He stood to go and as he reached for the doorknob he turned to Kelly one more time, "It's just that…there's something really special about Erin. I inexplicably feel this closeness to her. Just tell Erin, I'll see her soon."

And with that Jasper exited Kelly's office. Kelly waited until the door clicked shut before jumping up and grabbing her purse and keys. She could no longer breathe. The air in the office was becoming thick with fear. She had to get to Silver. She had to make sure that Silver was okay even if it meant having to see her mother too.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dixon hugged his sister and frowned at Navid, "Annie, the next time you're up to your eyes in crap, call me and I'll bring a shovel. It's ridiculous to put yourself in this much danger."

"I know, but I had to help. I really have to help now," she looked imploringly at Navid.

She had been busy explaining to Navid and Dixon where she had gone the night before, without revealing to them what had happened to Silver.

Annie was surprisingly relieved when Naomi pulled up to the curb next to Annie, Dixon, and Navid, "Just promise me you guys won't get into any trouble either."

Navid looked suspiciously at Naomi and then to Annie, "You're getting in the car willingly with Naomi?"

Annie nodded, "Yeah. We have something to talk about."

Dixon and Navid promised to be careful and to find a way to help get Jasper off the street. Annie watched them walk away as she slid into the passenger seat of Naomi's convertible.

Naomi took off her sunglasses and looked at Annie, "You didn't tell them about Silver, did you?"

Annie shook her head, "It's for Silver to decide who knows and who doesn't"

Naomi nodded grimly and drove out of the school parking lot. They drove out of Beverly Hills and to the beach in complete silence. There were only a few surfers in the water and no one on the land. Naomi and Annie both sat down in the sand, each debating what to say to the other.

Annie was the one to finally break the silence, "I didn't sleep with Liam."

"I don't care," Naomi's voice was sullen and truthful. "I really don't care anymore. With what's going on with Silver, Liam seems almost trivial."

Annie nodded, "So then how do we bridge our gap when we can't even talk about what made you hate me in the first place."

Naomi exhaled, her shoulder's sagging. "We just can. I believe you Annie. Honestly I believed you the entire time. I've just been so…so angry at the world. What I did to you, with the sexting…that was completely not okay and I'm very sorry about it. If I… I mean…I…"

"It's okay, Naomi. I got over it. I mean, yeah, it sucked not having you and Silver and Adrianna in my life, and I've really missed all of you. But now there's something more important than my feelings going on and all that stuff that happened between us. I can forgive and forget for Silver's sake…and for ours."

Naomi smiled softly, "Me too."

They both sat in silence until Naomi felt the urge to speak again, "Do you know all of the details?"

Annie pulled her legs close to her and rested her chin on her knees, nodding. "I saw the police statement. Everything she told the police, the report…it's all in there."

"I can tell by the look on your face it was bad, really bad."

Annie growled through clenched teeth with frustration, "I just can't understand how one human can do that to another. I mean, Naomi, she...she has trouble closing her eyes. She has trouble falling asleep and when she finally does fall asleep she wakes up screaming and fighting the sheets."

Naomi didn't bother to wipe away her tears as she listened to Annie's experience with Silver over the weekend. Annie recounted the details of the police report to Naomi. Naomi felt nausea and shuddered as Annie listed every last bruise and scratch. She knew Silver looked bad, she had seen that much with her own eyes. But to hear about the injuries she couldn't see was much worse.

"And you think it could be Jasper?" Naomi's voice was filled with disgust for the strange boy.

Annie shrugged, "I don't know Naomi, but it fits. He's got the scratches on his neck. He even asked me about Silver yesterday afternoon, and called her 'Erin.'"

"God…he's so creepy anyway, no offense," Naomi glanced apologetically at Annie. She realized as she saw the lost look in Annie's eyes that there was a lot about the smaller girl that she didn't know, a lot that Annie was hiding.

Annie stared out at the ocean wishing she had never hooked up with Jasper. She thought about the possibility that Silver might not have been attacked if she didn't know him. Before she could ponder that thought any further, Naomi cleared her throat.

"Why did you go out with him?"

Annie frowned more deeply than she thought was possible. Everything in her being was telling her to tell Naomi the truth, tell someone before it took her soul over. But she simply shrugged, "I don't know. I was alone."

Naomi's eyes narrowed as she studied Annie's face, "You're lying. There's more to it than that."

Annie was impressed with Naomi's people-reading skills and realized that Naomi was a lot deeper than she had given her credit for in the past.

Naomi nodded, "I get it. You don't want to tell me. That's okay. Just…if you ever need to talk, I'm here. Despite my prior actions, you can trust me."

Annie wanted to doubt that statement, but something in Naomi's eyes spoke the truth. Annie shrugged and nodded, "So what are we going to do about Silver?"

Naomi leaned back on her hands letting the afternoon sun soak into her olive complexion, "We're going to be there for her. Rape is…it's worse than any nightmare I've ever experienced. And Silver needs us. So, we're going to do whatever she asks us to do and when we're not helping her, we'll be hunting and haunting him."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Adrianna's heart sank as she overheard Naomi's statement walking up to her two friends, "Silver?"

Naomi and Annie jerked their heads around to find Adrianna standing still, frozen in the realization that Erin Silver had been victimized. Adrianna wanted to move, to say something. She thought about the pills she had very recently stopped taking. She hated herself for becoming distant from her friends. She looked at Annie and Naomi for confirmation of what she heard.

Naomi stood up and walked slowly to Adrianna. She knew that Adrianna had been in some very dangerous situations herself and the news that someone she really cared about was so brutally assaulted affected her deeply.

"Ade? What are you doing here?" Annie asked from her seat in the sand.

Adrianna blinked and managed to pull her bottom lip up to meet her top lip. She looked from Naomi, who now had a hand on the small of her back, to Annie, who was waiting patiently for an answer.

Adrianna blinked and nodded, "I…I saw Naomi's car. I was looking for you both. I saw you leave the school."

Naomi led Adrianna to their seats in the sand and they both sat down with Annie. Adrianna looked at Annie, "I had something I needed to tell you, about Jasper. Last night, I went to look for that thing he dropped. I couldn't find it. Maybe he went back and got it."

"What was it?" Naomi asked curiously.

Adrianna shook her head, "I'm not sure. It was white. And cloth. Maybe a handkerchief. I can't be sure. I was…well…I was."

"High?" Annie asked.

Adrianna looked shamefully to the ground, "More like hitting a low. It was why I was up at the Hollywood sign with him. I needed the pills he was selling me. He took the pills out of his pocket and when he did something white and cloth fell to the ground under a bush. But I can't remember where we were standing. It was dark and I…well, I already said that part."

Annie's eyes grew wider as she realized exactly what Adrianna was describing, "Oh my god…"

Naomi and Adrianna both looked at Annie expectantly, "What?"

"Naomi…don't you see? What Jasper dropped…the thing that the rapist took from Silver."

Naomi paled at the thought, "You don't think…"

Annie nodded, "No I don't think…I know."

"What is it?" Adrianna asked.

Annie sickened at the thought of having to give the details of Silver's attack one more time, but she sucked up the courage and spilled it all to Adrianna. The report had the same affect on Ade that it had had on Naomi. When Annie finished relating the facts of that night, they all agreed that it had to be the same thing. Adrianna had seen Jasper drop his sickening souvenir from the rape of Erin Silver.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kelly opened the door to her mother's house and went in without knocking. She thought about what would happen if she caught Silver off guard. She decided calling out would be safer for them both.

"Silver! It's Kelly, where are you?" Kelly managed to steady her voice despite the fact that her entire body was trembling with the fear of losing her sister. Something in the way Jasper had looked and sounded was more of a threat than simple concern.

Kelly was antsy when Silver didn't answer immediately, "Silver?"

She slowly stepped out of the foyer and into the living room. Her mother was sleeping on the couch. Kelly pondered momentarily what it would be like to just forgive her mother and make peace with her before it was too late. She knew, however, that too much pain had been inflicted for reversal of the damage. She was about to wake her mother up to ask where Silver was when she heard a noise from upstairs.

She glanced one more time at Jackie, and then began the ascent up the stairs. She softly called Silver's name again, "Silver? Please tell me you're up here."

There was still no response. Kelly exhaled slowly trying to let go of the nervousness and fear. She stepped onto the landing of the second floor and turned to her right. There were four doors down the hallway in that direction and two in the other direction. The two doors on the left were closed. Kelly knew one door led to a linen closet and the other was for an office. Of the four doors on the right, three were open. Only one of the upstairs doors was closed. Kelly couldn't remember if it was the bathroom, or the bedroom.

She hoped that Silver was sleeping. Silver needed more sleep. Kelly thought about how little she slept in the weeks that followed her rape and knew that Silver was having the same experience.

Kelly stepped closer to the door that was closed. She laid her hand gently against the wood frame and whispered Silver's name again. She didn't want to scare her little sister. There was still no response.

Kelly twisted the knob and was surprised to find it unlocked. As she pushed it slowly open she saw the counter and realized it was the bathroom. She pushed it further open and found that the decorative, framed mirror above the sink was shattered. Silver was sitting on the closed toilet sobbing, her face buried in her hands, one of which was slowly seeping blood. Kelly quickly took note that the thin brunette had no shirt on.

Kelly was caught somewhere between frozen sadness and the need to move to action. She chose the latter. She quickly grabbed the towel from the rack and knelt before her sister and placed her hands on her knees, "Silver? What's wrong? What happened?

Silver refused to move her hands from her face. Kelly forcefully pulled Silver's hand into the towel. She was relieved to see that the lacerations across the knuckles of the right hand were not that deep. Kelly applied pressure to Silver's hand and looked up into the saddest blue eyes she had ever seen.

Silver shuffled in a tear-soaked breath, "I broke the mirror."

Kelly nodded, "Yeah, I see that. Why?"

Silver tried to sit up straight only to grimace in pain. She crossed her left arm over her bra, ashamed to be seen without her shirt, even in front of Kelly. Kelly noticed all the bruises covering Silver looked intensely painful and angry. The asphalt scrapes on her back were a deep scarlet red as was the cut on her cheek and the scratch on her neck made by the assailants knife.

"Silver, it's okay. You can talk to me."

"I was trying to…fix it."

Kelly shook her head, "Fix what, honey?"

Silver indicated with a jerk of her head the elastic bandages on the counter. It wasn't until that movement that Kelly remembered that Silver was supposed to be wearing those on her ribs. Kelly picked up the bandages and helped Silver stand. Silver reluctantly consented and stood still while Kelly began to wind the bandages around her tiny frame.

"What really happened?" Kelly asked trying to get Silver to open up.

Silver lightly touched the cut on her lip, reminding herself of the things she had endured, not that a reminder was necessary. The images from Friday night invaded her every waking moment. She looked at the shattered pieces of the mirror all around them.

"I…couldn't look…I couldn't look at me."

Her voice was small and scared, as though she was in trouble. She felt confused and terrified and alone. Despite feeling the warmth of Kelly's hands circling her ribcage with the bandage, she felt alone. Kelly finally secured the bandage and turned Silver to face her.

Silver felt compelled to speak as she looked into Kelly's eyes, "I don't know what really happened. One minute I'm struggling with putting the bandages on and the next I'm seeing him in the mirror, laughing at me, staring at me. Telling me he will see me soon."

Silver's words reminded Kelly of her reason for being there. She shook away the thought, as she continued to listen to Silver. She looked in the cabinet and found a small first aid kit. She bandaged Silver's hand while Silver continued.

"I could feel him…everywhere. My skin was burning with the memory. I just…I wanted him to stop. I just wanted him to stop…"

Silver began to sob again and Kelly led her from the bathroom. She guided her to the adjoining bedroom and sat on the bed with her. Silver buried her head in Kelly's shoulder and Kelly simply held her. It was everything Silver needed and still not enough to help her.

"He's not going to hurt you again, Silver. I won't let him. I'll stop him."

Silver cried harder, knowing how much her pain also hurt Kelly. She tried to be brave, tried to not be afraid of the memory, but it was too much, and still so soon. She finally cried herself to sleep in Kelly's arms.

Kelly gently lay Silver down and covered her with the chenille throw from the foot of the bed. She walked downstairs to get the broom and the dustpan. She looked in on Jackie and was glad she was still asleep. She returned to the bathroom upstairs and swept up the shards of glass. She took the mirror frame from the wall and walked it outside to the garbage can.

As she was returning to the house, she noticed that there was a dark car parked down the street. Kelly turned toward the vehicle with suspicion. When she did, the car's engine started and peeled away from the curb disappearing around the corner. Kelly's entire body ached with the fear she felt for her sister.

She pulled her cell phone from her pocket and dialed Sergeant Cohen's number. She answered on the second ring. Kelly relayed the information to her making sure to state that it was merely a suspicion, a feeling. The detective relayed information to her that surprised Kelly. Another student had already been in with the same intuitive feeling that Jasper Herman was somehow involved in this.

Kelly was surprised again when Sergeant Cohen asked her if she had any idea how her own rape could be connected to the attack on her sister. Kelly had refused to focus on the connection, but was quickly seeing how it would be a necessary step in helping Silver.

She hung up the phone with the detective and ran her trembling hands through her blonde hair. She stared up at the windows of the second floor. She wondered if anyone could see Silver sleeping, vulnerable. She wrapped her arms around herself and walked back inside.

She was dismayed to find Jackie sitting up on the couch. Kelly stopped and nodded slightly to her mother, "Mom."

"Kelly?" Jackie looked pleasantly surprised, "What are doing here?"

Kelly couldn't tell her about her fears for Silver. Instead she said, "I wanted to help Silver today. She's upstairs sleeping. She was pretty beaten up from her wreck the other day and she hasn't been sleeping that great."

"That's sweet of you," Jackie knew better than to put too much hope in reconciliation with Kelly.

Kelly hesitated before sitting in the chair across the rug form the couch. She could barely pick her eyes up from the floor. She didn't want her mom to read the pain and the sorrow she felt. Her mother, when sober, was amazing at knowing when something was really wrong. She would have been amazing to have when she had been raped, but that was one of those periods of time when Jackie Taylor Silver was drunk.

Jackie's voice lost its pleasant tone, and picked up a serious to-the-point tone, "What's really happened, Kelly?"

Kelly almost smirked at the way Jackie sounded so much like she had earlier in the bathroom with Silver. She shook her head, "Nothing I can't handle, Mother."

Jackie shook her head, "That's crap. If it involves Silver, I have a right to know."

Kelly rolled her eyes, fighting the urge to argue with her mother about rights and how she had lost all rights to Silver's emotions and experiences. She knew she had to stay calm and out of an argument for Silver's sake. Kelly exhaled slowly, something she often did to control her anger.

Jackie's face fell slightly and she paled. Kelly stood to pace but stopped as she caught the look on her mother's face. They stayed that way for several seconds as Jackie read Kelly and Kelly let herself be read.

"Kelly?" Jackie finally spoke, her voice soft, overwrought with concern as she saw the tears falling onto her older daughter's cheeks.

Kelly wiped the tears away, and crossed her arms defensively over her chest. She knew everything she had held inside would come pouring out if her mother were to hold her, and yet everything in Kelly's being needed just that. The same way she had held Silver, as a mother holds a daughter, she wanted to feel. She had wanted to feel it her entire life.

Jackie sighed, "Is this about me being drunk when you were pregnant with Sammy. Not being there for that?"

Kelly scoffed, "No. It has nothing to do with that, Mom. Nothing. You weren't there for a lot of things. When I needed you the most, when I was wrapped tightly in the darkest moment of my life, you weren't there. You were drunk, or passed out, or God knows where. You were anywhere but where I was."

"You were always needy, Kelly. I couldn't be there for you all the time, but I was there when it really counted."

Kelly forced herself to react in truth and not in anger. She knew it was time to tell Jackie Taylor exactly what she had gone through. She found it hard to find her voice but managed to bring it to the surface. She walked away from Jackie, and then turned again toward her. A flash of the beach and Matt Durning popped into her thoughts. She had turned from him and then to him again when she had told him that she had been raped.

"You were there when it really counted? You weren't there after I was raped in that alley Mother. You weren't there afterwards when I went to the hospital, alone. You weren't there when I screamed out at night. You weren't there when I shot and killed him. You weren't there. Now ask me why I can't forgive you. Why I resent you so much. You were drunk when I needed you the most in my life. When I needed to be told that it was going to be okay, you weren't there. So…forgive me if the thought of you pretending like you care now falls short of ideal for me."

Jackie looked stunned. Kelly knew she would be. She had never told Jackie anything that had happened to her. Not one single bit. Kelly nodded allowing herself to cry freely, "That's right Mom. You were drunk when some sick bastard held me down in the alley, held a knife to my throat and told me that if I gave him a reason to kill me, he would. Then he ripped off my clothes and raped me on the asphalt."

Kelly heard a gasp behind her. She turned quickly to see Silver standing at the doorway with her bandaged hand over her mouth. Her eyes were filled with shock and disbelief. Kelly wiped more tears from her own cheeks as she sought out her sister's eyes. Silver's hand dropped from her mouth. She took a step toward Kelly. Kelly wanted to hug her sister, to comfort her, but she was so overwhelmed by her own grief and history that she couldn't. She shook her head, waving Silver away and walked out the front door.

Silver stared after her, wanting to follow her, wanting to find out more about what she had said. Was it true? Had Kelly's rape been so similar to her own? Did Kelly know more about all of this then she had let on? Silver turned to Jackie.

"Kelly?" Jackie whispered. "My baby?"

Silver looked at her mother with disdain. She had been so busy feeling sorry for Jackie that she had never stopped to think that maybe Kelly had a reason. "I love you Mom, but you will never be the mother that Kelly has been to me. She's right to be angry with you. She went through that with no one? I don't know how she did it. At least I have her. Now that I'm going through it."

Silver walked out the front door leaving her mother with the knowledge that both of her daughters had fallen victim to the same horrendous crime. She searched the dark driveway and saw Kelly leaning against the rear of the vehicle. She let what Kelly had told their mother sink in. Kelly's rapist had used the exact same threat hers had. But Kelly had shot him. She had taken his life.

She saw Kelly's shoulders shake with sobs. Silver's heart ached with the misery that was their lives. She felt responsible for it all. If she had put gas in her scooter, if she hadn't been so quick to misjudge their mother and doubt Kelly's good points, maybe Kelly wouldn't have to relive her assault, maybe…she sighed and approached her older sister.

Despite knowing how reluctant Kelly was to accepting comfort, Silver needled her way into Kelly's arms and there in the dark driveway the sisters held on to one another. Both seeking solace. Kelly was the first to break the embrace but only to make sure she was the one to comfort Silver.

"Are you okay?" Kelly asked her tears drying. "I didn't want you to hear that."

Silver nodded, "Is it true? Did the person who…who ra…who did this to you, did he say the same thing?"

Kelly took a deep breath, "Yes."

Silver touched her split lip and swallowed the knot forming in her throat, "Where?"

Kelly looked up at the sky, breathing in the chilled night air. She couldn't believe the time had passed so quickly from 3pm to a little past 5pm. She hated this, all of it.

"It was the same alley, Silver," Kelly finally stated. Upon seeing Silver's shocked expression, Kelly continued, "There are a lot of similarities, Silver. I was trying to protect you from the details, but our attacks are too similar to be coincidental."

The thought unnerved Silver further. She quietly got into Kelly's car and shut the door. Kelly followed suit and locked the doors once she was seated. She looked over at Silver. The young girl looked as though she was ready to hyperventilate. Kelly took her hand and squeezed it. She was relieved to feel Silver return the gesture. Kelly could handle anything but losing her son or her sister.

"What does Detective Cohen think?" Silver asked.

Kelly was surprised that Silver even remembered the detective's name, "She was the same detective that tried to find my rapist. She knew when she heard the details in the hospital that there was a connection. She's trying to figure out the common denominator."

Silver's eyes narrowed in thought, "There are several common denominators, Kel. You and I are sisters. That's one. Cohen was the detective on both cases, that's two. Same alley, that's three. Same words spoken, same way of attack, from behind with a knife."

Kelly glanced at Silver seeing the girl's mind turning. She knew Silver was going to have the toughest night yet. Too much too soon. Kelly knew that it could also help Silver to discuss it now that she knew.

"Let's assume that someone knew about my rape. Maybe they read the report. That would give them all the details they would need to do the same to you."

"And Detective Cohen?" Silver questioned.

Kelly shrugged, "Same alley, Silver. It's her beat."

Silver nodded and stared out toward the street. She wanted to know more. She wanted to find the monster that hurt her. She wanted to sleep at night and know that he wasn't going to come looking for her. He wasn't going to try it again.

Kelly thought about Jasper Herman and how he might be connected to either of them. She decided to bring it up to Silver at another time. The younger girl looked too tired for any more.

As they pulled into the driveway of their house, there was a car parked in the driveway. Kelly got out first and Silver quickly followed. Silver found herself practically hiding behind Kelly as Teddy Montgomery stepped out of the shadows of the front porch.

"Hey Silver, Ms. Taylor," his adorable grin widened with his greeting. Silver and Kelly both felt relief. Kelly looked questioningly at Silver. Silver shrugged and nodded slightly.

Kelly turned toward Teddy, "Hi Teddy. I'm sorry but it's dinner time and Silver's really not feeling great."

Teddy looked at Silver and could see the cut on her cheek and lip despite the darkness. His stomach dropped and he felt a panic rising in his chest. He knew when someone had been hurt. He took a step forward and wasn't that surprised when both Silver and Ms. Taylor jumped slightly.

"I'm sorry," Teddy said as he held up his hands. "I just came to see if Silver was okay. She hasn't been in school, so…"

Kelly nodded and looked at Silver again. This time Silver found her voice, "It's okay, Teddy. I've just been…I…"

Teddy shook his head, "You don't have to say anything. I can see you're not feeling great. I just thought you might like some company."

Silver looked at Kelly. Kelly looked from Teddy back to Silver, "I do need to run to the store. We're out of…well, everything."

Silver wasn't sure if she would feel safe with Teddy, but she couldn't keep Kelly prisoner forever. Silver nodded deciding to give Teddy a chance. The three of them entered the house. Teddy turned all the lights on for the ladies before finally asking if there was anything they needed him to do.

Kelly thanked him and told him there wasn't anything that needed immediate attention but if he was good at plumbing there was a sink that could use some fixing on the weekend. Teddy smiled and agreed to try. Silver looked relatively comfortable with Teddy. Kelly stopped and leaned close to Silver's ear before leaving to get groceries.

"If you don't feel comfortable with this, then we can go to the store tomorrow."

Silver wrapped her arms around her waist and shrugged, "I'm not going to be comfortable with anything, so might as well be uncomfortable with Teddy. He's safe."

Kelly thought about Steve Sanders, "I know what you mean."

"Call me if you need me," she ordered before leaving the house.

Silver turned to Teddy, who was sitting at the kitchen table. She sat down across from him, not able to find any words. Teddy leaned in a little and studied the bruises and cuts that were visible to him. Silver fiddled with the ends of her sleeves uncomfortably.

Teddy cleared his throat, "Who did this to you Silver?"


End file.
